For families struggling to make ends meet, even something as essential as a package of diapers can become a financial burden — and another source of stress.
And it’s a challenge affecting millions of families nationwide.
Nearly half of U.S. families with young children struggle to afford enough diapers, while one in four parents experiencing diaper shortages reported missing work or school because they lacked the diapers required for child care, according to the National Diaper Bank Network, a nonprofit organization that works with diaper banks across the country to provide essential supplies to families in need.
Now, a new community resource in Concord aims to ease some of that burden.
Mint to Be of the Carolinas, a local nonprofit dedicated to supporting mothers and families, has partnered with Save the Children Head Start to install a new Blessings of Grace Box at 310 Kerr Street.
The large white box, stocked with free diapers and children’s books, is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, giving families a place to turn for essential supplies whenever they need them.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the new resource was held Thursday afternoon, with Good Ground Coffee providing a beverage station for attendees.
The blessing box was built by Cenia and Bernardo Leon, owners of C & B Construction Plus, who helped bring the project to life.
For Sharee Johnson, founder of Mint to Be of the Carolinas, the blessing box represents more than a convenient place to obtain essential supplies. It’s also about easing the emotional and financial strain that many parents experience while trying to provide for their children.
“I really hope that it brings a sense of more joy and will lighten their mental health,” Johnson told The Cabarrus Compass when asked about the box’s potential impact. “When you’re not able to meet the basic needs of your family and children, it is very stressful. It is heavy on your mental health.”
The box, which bears the biblical inscription “My grace is sufficient for you” from 2 Corinthians, is located near Save the Children Head Start Cabarrus Academy.
Johnson and her team will work with Save the Children to keep the box stocked with supplies, ensuring that families have an ongoing source of assistance.
Community members can also help keep the blessing box stocked by donating diapers and new or gently used children's books, allowing residents to play a role in supporting local families.
Johnson said the organization also plans to host community pop-up parties designed to bring residents together, lift spirits and provide additional assistance to families.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to be able to support this blessing box with diapers and with books,” said Dr. Olivia Givens, senior program director for Save the Children Head Start in North Carolina, which operates several centers across Cabarrus, Stanly, Montgomery and Moore counties.
“We are looking forward to a continued partnership with Mint to Be of the Carolinas,” Givens added. “This is a great thing for our community.”
Other community partners include F&M Bank, Residents of Historic Concord, Carolina Complete Health and Outback Steakhouse.
The blessing box is the latest effort by Mint to Be of the Carolinas to help mothers and families facing financial hardships.
The nonprofit primarily serves mothers earning less than $25,000 annually, offering counseling, financial literacy classes and essential supplies such as diapers, toiletries and baby formula.
It also helps cover the cost of postpartum therapy with a trauma-focused therapist and provides emergency supplies to families facing unexpected crises.
In just over seven years, Mint to Be has served more than 5,000 families, distributed more than 300,000 diapers, hosted 17 community baby showers and organized numerous outreach events to support mothers and their children.
“So many diapers and so many more to go,” Johnson told The Cabarrus Compass.
Those efforts have earned Johnson praise from community leaders, including Concord City Council Member Jennifer Hubbard, who attended Thursday’s ribbon-cutting.
“I don’t think I’ve met somebody that has a bigger heart, but also acts on that,” Hubbard said.
Hubbard said the blessing box will give struggling families some much-needed “room to breathe” by easing the burden of providing basic necessities for their children.
Johnson hopes the new blessing box will be just the beginning.
She would eventually like to install additional boxes throughout the area, expanding access to diapers, books and other essential supplies for families who might otherwise struggle to afford them.
For now, she hopes the box on Kerr Street will provide something that can be difficult to come by for parents struggling to meet their children’s basic needs: a little peace of mind.
Community members can help support the effort by purchasing diapers through the nonprofit’s Amazon baby registry.