Clean Up East Haven (CUEH) is sponsoring the Connecticut Diaper Bank (CDB) for the second year with a Saturday, June 8 diaper drive in the Stop & Shop parking lot on from 8:30 to 10 a.m.

“There’s a real need for diapers and the like,” said George Smith, who runs CUEH. “It really does affect a lot of things you wouldn’t think of.”

The CDB started in 2004 in an effort to provide for families with young children in need of assistance.

Not having access to diapers can prevent low-income families from placing their children with daycare facilities, further affecting parents’ ability to find work.

“It’s kind of a double-edged sword for poor people,” said Smith.

The CDB provides free diapers for families in need through a network of local distributors. The closest facility to East Haven is located at 370 State Street in North Haven.

Prior to CUEH’s second Saturday clean-up event, Smith will have a collection area set up in the Stop & Shop parking lot at the corner of Hemmingway Avenue and Messina Drive where people can donate clean diapers. He notes that the CDB does accept open packs of diapers as a way of preventing waste.

CUEH’s clean up event starting at 10 a.m. will take place immediately afterward.

Smith said people can also reach out to him via cellphone ahead of the drive to make donations. He can be reached at 203-812-8658.

“It’s our second year doing a drive for them because it’s a necessity that doesn’t really get addressed,” he said. “We know there are people in our community who use our food pantry, but I don’t really think we think about the need for diapers on a regular basis.”