Diapers may not be the first thing people think about when it comes to helping struggling families, but Bare Necessities’ Vice President Nancy Popp can point to several alarming statistics that highlight how large that need is.

“It’s a big need. One in two families in Connecticut struggle to afford diapers. It’s a growing need, too. In 2023, we provided 324,618 diapers and 379,202 wipes to 535 families,” Nancy says.

To help support those astounding numbers, each year, Bare Necessities teams up with local law enforcement departments for community diaper drives, including Branford Police Department and North Branford Police Department.

Thanks to support from community members answering each department’s call to action, together with those responding to police departments in Guilford, Clinton, East Haven, Madison, and Connecticut State Police Troop F in Westbrook, this year’s Bare Necessities Law Enforcement Diaper Drive added up to another successful effort. The drive took place Feb. 1 through Feb. 15.

At Branford Police Department, the community pitched in to help police gather 3,000 diapers, nearly 2,400 wipes, and over $600 in donations for Bare Necessities, BPD reported.

In a post on the BPD Facebook page, the department stated, “...thank you so much to our Branford community for their generosity. Thank you to our friends at the Community Dining Room Inc. who will be providing the diapers and wipes to those in need, and also to Bare Necessities, Inc., for including us in their drive year after year.”

At North Branford Police Department, the lobby was open 24/7 to accept donations as the department set a goal to “...have an even better year than we did last year, for amazing cause,” as noted on the NBDP Facebook page.

Coming soon, shoreliners can get involved in another annual event supporting Bare Necessities’ effort to combat diaper insecurity: the “Ducky Dip for Diapers“ held in Clinton, where Bare Necessities is based. This year’s dash is set for June 22, notes Nancy, who is helping to organize the event.

“This is our one big fundraiser,” Nancy says.

For $5—enough to provide three days’ worth of diapers—participants get a ticket for a numbered rubber ducky that will be launched into the Indian River behind Clinton Town Hall on race day. Participants can also watch the action live on Facebook (@BareNecessitiesCT). The first 20 ducks to cross the finish line will receive prizes.

“We’re really trying to turn it into a community event. It’s free to attend, and besides the race, we’ll have a DJ, arts and crafts, animals from Meigs Point Nature Center, yard games, and hotdogs and ice cream,” Nancy says.

The festivities will begin around 11 a.m., and the ducks will be launched around 1:15 p.m. The event will end around 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by emailing bare.necessities.ct@gmail.com or paying @Bare-Necessities on Venmo.

Bare Necessities is a member of the National Diaper Bank Network. Nancy first got involved with Bare Necessities about seven years ago.

“I got a call from two of the founders who are friends of mine and asked me to help out. It’s such a big need and a great cause. I was brought up to give back when I can so I said yes,” Nancy explains.

The organization serves families along the shoreline from Branford to Old Saybrook as well as inland in towns Deep River and Killingworth. For more information or to make a donation, visit barenecessitiesct.org

“It’s a great group of people. Everyone works together really well. It feels good when you see families come through who have this need and how appreciative they are,” Nancy says of what she enjoys about working with the organization.

Senior Staff Writer Pam Johnson contributed to this story.