In 2022, the Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona merged with the Diaper Bank of Central Arizona, becoming the statewide Arizona Diaper Bank.
PHOENIX — Arizona is home to the nation’s first diaper bank, with locations in the Valley and Tucson.
In 1994, the diaper bank movement began when Resolve Inc., a consulting firm in Tucson, initiated a holiday diaper collection for a local crisis nursery.
Over the years, the diaper bank collected 300,000 diapers for 30 community agencies by 1999.
The diaper bank operated under the Carondelet Foundation, but became an independent charitable organization in 2000, marking the birth of the nation’s first diaper bank.
The diaper bank said on its website that in 2006, Ginger Clayton began chairing the annual baby diaper drive, originally founded by Eileen Rogers in 1999, benefitting Homeward Bound – Phoenix. Homeward Bound – Phoenix helps provide affordable housing in the Phoenix area.
Clayton, in 2013, alongside her company, Elontec, founded the Diaper Bank of Central Arizona with a mission to provide one million diapers to families in need in the central Arizona region. That same year, the Arizona Diaper Bank joined forces with the National Diaper Bank Network as a regional partner. The National Diaper Bank connects and supports the country’s more than 240 community-based diaper banks.
In May 2022, the Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona merged with the Diaper Bank of Central Arizona, becoming the statewide Arizona Diaper Bank.
The diaper bank said they have distributed over 20 million diapers and incontinence briefs in 30 years, which benefited over 600,000 people.
To learn about the Arizona Diaper Bank’s partnering agencies, click here.
The Arizona Diaper Bank’s CEO, Yevette Sykes, said the Phoenix Branch is training a new warehouse manager so they can learn about how to work with their partners and the walk-up distribution process. The Phoenix Branch will open back up in December for walk-ups and move to only Mondays from 8 a.m. to noon.
Watch 12News for free
You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12+ app!
The free 12+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like “Today in AZ” and “12 News” and our daily lifestyle program, “Arizona Midday”—on Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV.
12+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.
Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for “12 News KPNX.”
Amazon Fire TV: Search for “12 News KPNX” to find the free 12+ app to add to your account, or have the 12+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.