The percentage of Kalamazoo children living in households that don’t earn enough to support their families.
48%
Almost half of all children in Kalamazoo are part of families earning an income below the ALICE income threshold and struggle to afford the essentials. ALICE is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — households that earn less than the basic cost of living for our county.
How It Gets Done
We distribute diapers and period supplies to young people from childhood to young adulthood to ensure they always have what they need.
The products we distribute arrive at our warehouse in two ways:
Community members donate boxes of diapers, wipes, and period supplies.
We purchase products in bulk at a discount.
Volunteers repackage all products into:
A week’s supply of diapers and baby wipes
Monthly period kits, accounting for our recipients' varying ages and product preferences
We then deliver these packages to our distribution partners, who give them to the folks they work with and ensure we reach BIPOC youth. We benefit from the expertise of partner organizations who understand the needs of young people and the best methods to get them the diapers and period products they need.