SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — As a mother of three, Lorenza Gonzales says distribution events are a lifeline.
It hasn’t been difficult to feed her family, but she also said it’s been difficult to provide diapers for her two children, both under the age of 2.
“I don’t buy [the diapers] because I like to come here and pick them up,” Gonzales said.
She said the diaper drive makes it a little easier for her to manage her budget.
“I can buy food, clothes and what they [the children] need,” Gonzales said.
Many families find themselves in this type of situation, according to the San Diego Food Bank.
Executive Director Casey Castillo said they distributed $9 million worth of diapers to low-income families in San Diego last year.
The public budget would finance this program.
“This allows us to supply food to those families and diapers to those who want it. Then the cash can be used to pay rent, housing, utilities, medical bills, or pay for the car so they can continue to work,” Castillo said. saying.
But while the state continues to manage its budget, it has a deficit of about $47 billion. Organizers were concerned that systems like this would lose funding, so they held diaper drives throughout the county.
ABC 10News visited a site in Oceanside where Rep. Laurie Davies was running to get diaper donations from shoppers.
“It fills you up again, to see that there are other wonderful people who care about us. Sometimes other people don’t feel that way. But we all come together when we need a helping hand,” Davies said.
The San Diego Food Bank says it has secured a partial investment from the state to continue this diaper program and hopes others will continue to donate so it can help more families in need.