GREENFIELD — United Way of the Franklin & Hampshire Region is once again teaming up with partner organizations to help ease the burden that diaper costs can place on low-income families.

The nonprofit has joined forces with the Northampton Radio Group, Lia Auto Group, the Greenfield Recorder and the Daily Hampshire Gazette for its annual diaper drive, which ends June 30. Contributions will help United Way collect the up to 10,000 diapers it distributes each month to 15 local agencies.

“It’s been great,” Program Manager Jenny Coeur said about donors’ generosity over the years. “We really have folks coming out to support [us] each year and one of the things we’re doing is getting the word out that we do take donations year-round.”

A March 2022 study conducted by researchers at the University of Vermont and the Greater Boston Food Bank found that 36% of Massachusetts families with young children could not afford diapers. Diapers can cost as much as $100 per child per month, and prices continue to rise due to product demand, supply-chain disruptions and increased shipping costs. Most daycare and early education programs require families to provide disposable diapers for children to attend.

“Free diapers from the diaper bank help families … to help stretch their budgets,” Coeur said, adding that programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) do not cover diapers.

Coeur said United Way of the Franklin & Hampshire Region collected at least 52,000 diapers last year either in-kind or by making purchases with donated money.

“So we’re hoping to see if we can gather 53,000 this year,” she added.

Donations can be made online via United Way of the Franklin & Hampshire Region’s Amazon wish list or in person at the more than 40 donation sites located throughout Franklin and Hampshire counties. The wish list and the addresses of the drop-off sites can be found at uw-fh.org/diaper-drive, where people can also access a link to make a monetary donation that goes directly to the organization’s cross-county diaper bank.

United Way encourages the donation of larger diaper sizes for children that are often more difficult to come by — specifically sizes 4, 5 and 6 — as well as pull-up training pants. Days of action will include a standout, supported by the Northampton Radio Group, on Thursday, June 15, from 10 a.m. to noon at Lia Toyota in Northampton.

With questions about the diaper drive, contact United Way at 413-584-3962, ext. 102 or info@uw-fh.org.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.

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