Partners for Children & Families, Inc. is nearing the one-year anniversary of its Essential Care Panty (ECP) and is excited to mark this milestone with a new grant from the Moore County Community Foundation for the ECP.
Partners for Children & Families – which has operated for over 30 years as Moore County’s Smart Start agency and primary nonprofit serving children from birth to age 5 – launched the ECP last October as a part of its Family Resource Center. During its first nine months of operation, the ECP has provided over 100 Moore County families with nearly 12,600 diapers and pullups, about 22,500 wipes, and over 6,000 period-support items free of charge.
“We’ve used our initial funding to establish a great support system for families in need,” said Danielle Rose, Partners for Children & Families program manager, in a press release, who has been key to the ECP’s development.
Moore County families can register monthly on Partners for Children & Families’ website to pick up their diapering and period products from the ECP.
“When families are at Partners for Children & Families to pick up their diapers, we can also provide information about parenting coaching, car seat safety and installation, NC Pre-K enrollment, access to materials in our Learning Through Play Lending Library, and other family programs,” said Rose. “The ECP is vital in and of itself, and it also acts as a door to many other support opportunities.”
This recent grant for the ECP was made possible by the John W. Roffe and Marjorie A. Roffe Endowment Fund of the Moore County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the North Carolina Community Foundation. With this funding, Partners for Children & Families is able to work closely with the Diaper Bank of North Carolina to ensure that it is purchasing products for the ECP at the best possible price.
“It’s no secret that North Carolina is dealing with a child care crisis and that the cost of child care is extremely high,” says Partners for Children & Families development director Julia Latham. “If we can help parents of young children better spread their family budget, we know we are both directly and indirectly contributing to the health and education of those children.”
Partners for Children & Families welcomes private, tax-deductible donations to help fund the ECP. Moreover, the ECP has an Amazon wishlist, allowing donors to make purchases and have them delivered to the ECP. Information about donating to and purchasing for the ECP can be found at Partners for Children & Families’ website: https://www.pfcfmc.org/pantry.
Moore County families in need of diapers, pullups, wipes, and period-care products can register for the ECP at the same website or call Partners for Children & Families for more information – 910-949-4045. When visiting or calling, families are encouraged to explore Partners for Children & Families’ many other family and child support programs.
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Contributed article/photo.
