CoxHealth Launches 13th Annual Diaper Drive to Support Families in Need

CoxHealth's 13th annual Diaper Drive is running through April 30, collecting disposable and cloth diapers of any size or brand, including open packages, for distribution to families across the Springfield region and beyond. The Springfield-based not-for-profit health system kicked off the monthlong campaign on April 1, spreading collection bins across ten of its own facilities and one community retail site.

The scale of need driving the effort is stark. CoxHealth estimates that infants require between 6 and 12 diapers per day, adding up to roughly 3,500 in the first year of life. For families already stretched by the broader costs of infant care, that supply can become an impossible expense.

Donations collected this month are routed to five partner organizations positioned to get supplies directly into the hands of families: the Diaper Bank of the Ozarks in Springfield, Elevate Branson, Monett Community Kitchen, Katie's House–Pregnancy & Family Resource Center, and the Barton County Health Department. That geographic spread reflects CoxHealth's footprint: drop-off sites include Cox South, Cox North, Cox Branson, Cox Monett, Cox Barton County, the Primrose Building, The Meyer Center, CoxHealth Fitness Center Branson, Cox College, and Cox Learning Center entrances. Donors outside those facilities can also drop off at Price Cutter at 4228 S. National Ave. in Springfield.

The drive is backed by multiple sponsors: Great Southern Bank and Target provided funding for direct diaper purchases, while Grooms Office Environments sponsors the initiative's operational side. Anyone with questions can contact The Women's Center at 417-269-4664.

Now in its thirteenth year, the drive represents one of the more durable examples of a health system using its physical infrastructure and community relationships to address a form of material hardship that rarely makes headlines. With 23 days of collection still remaining, the pipeline from donation bin to family doorstep stays open through the end of the month.