SHARING HOPE
ONE BUNDLE AT A TIME
Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church partners with
Bundles of Hope to meet local need for diapers
BY JEANA DURST
In times of crisis, churches often are the ones
who help those who are struggling the most in
our communities. Mt. Vernon United Methodist
Church in Gardendale is one such example of
this kind of faith in action. “Gardendale Mount
Vernon UMC is honored to partner with Bundles
we are a distributing partner of diapers to foster
Kelly Norris, an involved church member
and committee member for the popular King’s
Consignment Sale, spoke with us about how their
congregation is supporting the Bundles of Hope
ministry. “It is such a critical time right now,”
Norris says. At the beginning of the pandemic,
there were several people in the community
reaching out who aren’t regular
participants of the local diaper
diapers. Now, Bundles of Hope
Diaper Bank is getting inundated
with requests for aid from the
community. They are providing
diapers and wipes to 1,000 babies
a month, and with the loss of
jobs due to the coronavirus
pandemic, the need has rapidly skyrocketed.
Lindsay Gray, executive director of Bundles of
Hope, explains, “Families are in need of diapers
now more than ever. With families out of work,
children not in childcare, parents are desperately
searching for how they are going to provide
essentials for their little ones.”
Norris met Gray when Gardendale Mt. Vernon
was just beginning to partner with this ministry. In
September of 2019, their church participated in the
city-wide 5th Annual Stuff the Bus Diaper Drive.
Fast forward to today, and the need is even more
dire. Gray explains that retail shelves are bare at
20 Bham Family July 2020
FAITH
this point, so they are asking people to participate
in a virtual diaper drive. As the preferred regional
partner of the National Diaper Bank Network,
Bundles of Hope is able to purchase in bulk
directly from manufacturers. The cost is only $10
per month to sponsor a baby. “Shelby Haygood,
our Bundles coordinator is
working very hard staying in
touch with families during this
pandemic to make sure keeping
their babies dry is not a worry,”
To understand the impact of
their work, consider that in a
more normal economy, diaper
need impacts one in three local
families. Bundles of Hope partners with 40 local
organizations and ministries to move diapers into
the hands and “onto the bottoms” of those that
need them most. Families they serve include, foster
families, families with special needs children, lowincome
families, single parents, and grandparents
raising babies. Consider supporting Gardendale
Mt. Vernon’s ministry and help provide a little
hope—one bundle at a time.
For more information on how you can help, email info@
bundlesdiaperbank.org or visit www.bundlesdiaperbank.org
or www.gmvumc.org.
/bundlesdiaperbank.org
/www.bundlesdiaperbank.org
/www.gmvumc.org