As the rising cost of living continues to put pressure on family budgets, a group of local volunteers have put the call out for 6,000 nappies to make sure mums in need have enough to keep their little ones clean, healthy and happy.

The ‘Mother’s Day Collective’ is an annual Mother’s Day drive for donations of new and leftover disposable nappies which will be redistributed to families in crisis. Now in its 10th year, it is an initiative of The Nappy Collective, an Australian nonprofit that focuses solely on collecting disposable nappies and distributing them to families in crisis. 

Chloe Garlick stumbled across the work of the Nappy Collective after having her first child last year. She said it was the thought of families missing out on such an important necessity that inspired her to get involved.

“I just couldn't imagine as a mum, or a parent not being able to change my child often enough or wondering if we had enough nappies to get through the week. So, thinking other parents might not have a choice really drove me to try and start this,” Chloe said.

Chloe started out as a “crew” volunteer, helping where she could. Finding herself delivering donated nappies outside of Orange, Chloe stepped up to become the regional leader for the Nappy Collective in the central west and has been the driving force behind the return of local collection points — many that dropped off due to the challenges COVID brought these last few years.

Chloe works with local service providers and other community partners to help distribute the donated nappies to vulnerable families.

“We asked them how many vulnerable families they see and whether they have a need for nappies and pretty much all of them said, Yes, absolutely!” she said.

“Most of them rely on donations from the public, so it’s not always a sure thing. And they said they see lots of families with young kids, and families who are struggling to find nappies, so the need was there.”

This Mothers Day Collective, May 8-12, Chloe and her crew of volunteers have put the word out that 6,000 nappies are needed!

It could be any loose disposable nappies left over from a packet, or your own child has outgrown, or donations of new packets of nappies – all are needed and very much appreciated! Simply drop any nappies you can afford to give at collection points around Orange, including: Rise Early Learning, Seymour Street Early Learning, The Pinnacle Physiotherapy Clinic, Early Years Music School (located at The Church of Christ, Orange), Chaos and Karma, and Ashcroft's SUPA IGA.

While the annual Mother’s Day Collective is a way to push for donations and get the word out about the work of the Nappy Collective, donations are needed all year round, Chloe said.

And it would not be possible to do what they do without volunteers, she added, encouraging people who might be interested in helping out to get in touch.

“It can be as little as an hour a month,” Chloe said. “And we’re also targeting people with different skill sets – everyone’s diverse skill range really helps to drive these campaigns.”

To find out how you can help, or where to donate, visit www.thenappycollective.com