A new baby brings oodles of joy … and the need for about 160 diapers each month. Purchasing enough diapers and wipes can be stressful for families when a paycheck is gone before the month is over. Members of Our Saviours Lutheran Church recognize this is an issue for some families in the Merrill area, and they want to help.
On Tuesday, July 11, 2023, Our Saviours Lutheran Church at 300 Logan St. in Merrill [on the corner of Third and Logan Streets, across from Prairie River Middle School] will launch a “Diaper Closet,” an outreach project to help those in the community who are having difficulty financially to meet this important need. To access the Diaper Closet, families are asked to use the ramp adjacent to the church’s north parking lot and enter through the door there.
The Diaper Closet will be open the second Tuesday of each month from 3 to 5 p.m. and the fourth Saturday of each month from 9 to 11 a.m. Diapers will be available in a variety of sizes, including adult diapers, and are available to anyone in the community with a need, at no cost to the family.
At least initially, there will be a limit of one package of diapers and wet wipes per family each month, with a limit of six visits to the Diaper Closet per year.
Our Saviours was able to start the Diaper Closet thanks to funds from the Gerald and Lorraine Muschinske Memorial Fund, coupled with a grant from Thrivent. However, the church will rely on generous support and donations from community members to sustain the Diaper Closet going forward, and they are requesting donations of both new diapers and funds to purchase additional diapers in needed sizes for the Diaper Closet.
Call 715.536.5813 to make arrangements to drop off diaper donations if you can help or for answers to questions. Monetary donations may be mailed to the church at: Our Saviours Diaper Closet, 300 Logan St., Merrill WI 54452. Be sure to note on your check that the donation is for the Diaper Closet.