Onalaska Methodist Church shows Love-4-Luvs with diaper collection

Trying to unload the burden on families in need, Onalaska youth are looking for diaper donations.

This is the second year of the Onalaska United Methodist Church’s Love-4-Luvs event. The church’s 7th-9th grade Sunday School classes will collect any brand of diapers until March 1 as well as gift cards and cash to buy diapers. Their goal is to get more than 7,000, but Paul Bratsch, director of youth programming, said that is conservative considering last year they gathered 13,000.

“It is so exciting for us to see them [the students] getting involved in helping make the community a better place,” Bratsch said.

The church says babies need up to 10 diapers a day, and that can cost families $80 a month.

“About one in three families in the U.S. can’t afford enough diapers for their children,” Bratsch said. “Sometimes parents have to miss work because they don’t have enough diapers to send their child to childcare. We just want to make people more aware of this cause, let them know that that this is a big need in our area and around the country. Anything that they can do to help is greatly appreciated.”

Donations can be dropped off at the Onalaska United Methodist Church (212 4th Ave. N, Onalaska). The sizes most in need are 3 through 6, but they will accept any size. The diapers will be given to the Hunger Task Force.