Community Corner

Lawrenceville’s HomeFront Expands Diaper Bank Program For NJ Families

HomeFront is now seeking community groups interested in receiving bulk diapers to provide for families in need.

Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds Jackson (left) with HomeFront CEO Sarah Steward (right).
Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds Jackson (left) with HomeFront CEO Sarah Steward (right). (Courtesy of HomeFront)

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ - HomeFront, Lawrenceville’s long-standing social service agency, has expanded its Diaper Bank program to reach more families across Central Jersey.

The expansion was made possible through Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson's successful advocacy for funding in the state budget to increase diaper access in New Jersey.

The Assemblywoman’s $250,000 state budget appropriation will support the expansion of HomeFront’s Diaper Bank, a program that provided over one million diapers to families in need last year alone.

Find out what's happening in Lawrencevillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The new funding will support expansion to offer diapers in bulk to other community organizations that support families in Central New Jersey.

Reynolds-Jackson recently visited HomeFront for a check presentation ceremony.

Find out what's happening in Lawrencevillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Diapers are critical to a family’s stability and well-being, enabling children to go to daycare, parents to go to work, and families to put money toward other crucial expenses – ultimately helping the Central New Jersey community thrive.

“This is a dream come true to be able to start this expansion here at HomeFront,” Reynolds-Jackson said.

“I do a lot of work around maternal health and the need for diapers always comes up, including the cost to have enough diapers for childcare so parents can go to work. Ultimately, it’s a high cost for families to have all the things that are necessary when having a baby,” she emphasizes.

HomeFront is already serving as one of the state’s largest distributors of no-cost diapers to families and currently partners with four local organizations to provide diapers in bulk.

HomeFront’s Diaper Bank Expansion pilot will expand partnerships with up to 10 new organizations in its first year. The program will leverage the partner organizations’ existing relationships with families in the community who are facing diaper need and their existing capacity to connect those families with resources that make a difference.

Sarah Steward, HomeFront’s Chief Executive Officer, said she knows that long-term solutions are about “finding the right partners to bring a solution to bear.”

“I give a lot of credit to Assemblywoman Reynolds-Jackson for being laser-focused on supporting women and families because we know that that is what’s going to drive the economic engine and create healthy futures for children down the road,” she said.

Steward also addressed the connection between diaper access and housing insecurity. “HomeFront is known primarily as an agency that supports families experiencing homelessness, and we do a lot of work trying to prevent homelessness before it happens. The diapers and other basic necessities we provide give room in the monthly budget for families living paycheck to paycheck,” Steward said. “Wherever we can create space for people to save, that’s progress on their path to providing more stability for their families.”

With additional funding in place, HomeFront is seeking interested community groups with established relationships that might be interested in receiving bulk diapers to provide to the community.

Groups interested in becoming a partner of the HomeFront Diaper Bank should complete the survey at bit.ly/hfdiapers2025.

Community members interested in helping HomeFront’s Diaper Bank, the organization coordinates an annual Diaper Challenge, aiming to collect 500,000+ diapers and baby wipes.

The HomeFront Diaper Challenge will run from March 3 through the day after Mother’s Day, May 12.

Have a correction or a news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.