FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 4, 2021
MEDIA CONTACT: Cody Hefner, (513) 608-5777, chefner@cincymuseum.org
Cincinnati Museum Center and Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank announce partnership
Museum diaper collection site helps address critical health need
CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) is partnering with Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank to collect and distribute diapers to families in need. CMC is establishing a collection site outside The Children’s Museum where guests can donate diapers that will then be picked up and distributed by Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank.
On average, a baby will go through $70-80 worth of diapers per month, adding up to over $900 in a year. Since diapers are not supported by WIC or SNAP programs that support many low-income families, diapers can become cost-prohibitive, leading to a cascade of medical, educational and emotional challenges for families. Without an adequate supply of diapers, babies are forced to sit in soiled diapers for longer than appropriate, resulting in diaper rash and staph and urinary tract infections. When parents run out of diapers, they are forced to withdraw their children from childcare. Without proper childcare, parents are unable to hold employment that allows them to support their families.
Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank, a nonprofit diaper bank, was founded in 2015 to address this problem. Since it collected its first diaper, Sweet Cheeks has donated over 36.3 million clean diapers to families in need in Greater Cincinnati.
“We are so excited to partner with Cincinnati Museum Center as a new drop-off location for diapers. We’re grateful to be neighbors with an organization that consistently demonstrates its care for the whole child – mentally, emotionally and physical. This donation bin is just one more way Cincinnati Museum Center is supporting families, and it will allow us to have an even larger reach in our community.”
CMC is helping Sweet Cheeks advance its mission and raise awareness about the basic health need for diapers. By hosting a diaper collection bin at one of the most-visited museums in the city and home to The Children’s Museum, CMC is hoping to help even more families provide their children with this basic need.
“We are thrilled to support the life-changing work Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank is doing so that, together, we can serve our community’s educational, physical and emotional needs,” said Elizabeth Pierce, president & CEO of Cincinnati Museum Center. “Museums are an anchor in their communities, and we have a responsibility to use our platform and our resources to improve the lives and wellbeing of that community.”
Guests can drop off clean, unused diapers at a Sweet Cheeks collection bin located near the entrance to The Children’s Museum at CMC. Those diapers will then be picked up and distributed to families across Greater Cincinnati.
Just as Sweet Cheeks recognizes the basic health need of diapers, CMC recognizes how important early childhood education and non-traditional learning is for youth development. CMC offers reduced admission at $2 per person through its Museums For All program for those individuals receiving SNAP benefits. To receive the reduced admission pricing, guests can simply present their EBT or Medicaid card at the box office. Visit cincymuseum.org/museums-for-all/.
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About Cincinnati Museum Center
Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) at Union Terminal is a nationally recognized, award-winning institution housed in a National Historic Landmark. CMC is a vital community resource that sparks curiosity, inspiration, epiphany and dialogue. CMC was awarded the 2009 National Medal for Museum and Library Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and received accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums in 2012, one of a select few museums in the nation to receive both honors. Organizations within CMC include the Cincinnati History Museum, Museum of Natural History & Science, Children’s Museum, Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater, Cincinnati History Library and Archives and the Geier Collections and Research Center. Housed in historic Union Terminal – a National Historic Landmark restored in 2018 and recognized as the nation’s 45th most important building by the American Institute of Architects – CMC welcomes more than 1.8 million visits annually, making it one of the most visited museums in the country. For more information, visit www.cincymuseum.org.
About Champion More Curiosity
The $85 million Champion More Curiosity campaign is shaping Cincinnati Museum Center’s future while creating generations of critical thinkers to power the innovation of our region. By Championing More Curiosity and helping build the future of Cincinnati Museum Center, you can fuel the economic prosperity of our region. Champion More Curiosity will build or reimagine over a dozen permanent exhibits and galleries and equip state-of-the-art labs for cutting-edge research for students from elementary grades to post-docs. Today’s wide-eyed explorers will be tomorrow’s innovators. We work shoulder-to-shoulder to engage our community in monumental moments of epiphany, wonder and connection. As we inspire all generations to learn, grow and thrive at Cincinnati Museum Center, we Champion More Curiosity. Consider making a lifelong impact by donating in support of Championing More Curiosity at www.supportcmc.org.
About Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank
Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank, a program of COVERD Greater Cincinnati, partners with local social service agencies to provide free diapers to low-income families while raising awareness of the basic health need for diapers. Sweet Cheeks’ vision is to eliminate the existence of diaper need in the Greater Cincinnati community so ALL babies have the chance to be healthy, happy and safe.
--Sweet Cheeks Media Contact: Andrea Hawman, @ELEVATE, andrea@elevate-supportservices.com