By Payton Tholstrup

On Monday, September 30th, North Central Kansas Medical Center Volunteers donated $300 to the Cloud County Resource Center and Food Bank.

The funds will be used to provide diapers for the Infant Care Supply Pantry and feminine hygiene products for the Hygiene Pantry. Both pantries are relatively new and provide diapers, wipes, infant formula, baby food, tampons, and more to women and families in the Cloud County area.

According to a press release from Cloud County Resource Center, “Beginning in 2021, the cost of diapers was approximately $80 a month per child and one in every three families struggled to pay for diapers even before the pandemic and that cost has not declined.” The center also said that the price of tampons has risen 10% since 2022 and 8.3% for menstrual pads.

The cost shows that these items have risen in cost even faster than food, making them some of the most expensive products a household might purchase. The Resource Center felt the need to help the community with this growing issue.

The Infant Care Pantry and Hygiene Pantry were launched in April 2024 and have already provided services for many families and women in the area.

“We are so grateful to organizations like the North Central Kansas Medical Center Volunteers for assisting us to provide this service to our community. We could not do it without everyone’s help,” said Tonya Merrill, Executive Director of the Resource Center.