The photo of me looks like I forgot my toothbrush. I DID. (I bought one there, though.)

Did I tell you guys that I went to Utah a couple of weeks ago? I joined the Huggies Every Little Bottom team at evo '11 to promote the program and spread the word about what Huggies is doing to combat diaper need in this country. I stayed here.

Incredible, really.

First let me just say that if you're ever in the market for a blogging or social media-related conference, take some time to consider evo (full title: the Evolution of Women in Social Media). It's small and intimate (only about 350 attendees – in comparison, Blogher attracts several thousand), it's in a picturesque location (Park City, Utah), families are ENCOURAGED to attend along with participants (I cannot stress how fun it was for real, actual BABIES to visit us in the Huggies suite – you'd have thought we'd never seen babies in real life before, I SWEAR), and the content of the conference was really up-to-date and hands-on. I was really really impressed with the whole thing – I know the technically I was an outsider since I was there representing Huggies and not as just a regular attendee, but it seemed much less... cliquey. I would say it was the kind of conference where people attend specifically for the content and the sessions, and not for the parties. So. Make of that what you will. (I thought it was awesome.) (THOUGH A BIT INTIMIDATING, because the people who attended REALLY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING, blog-wise.) (AHEM, The Bloggess, AHEM.)

I'd never been to Utah before the conference, and when I left home I noted that the five-day forecast for the region had something like a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms every afternoon. So the first afternoon I had free, I decided I would take advantage of the semi-sunshine, beat the thunderstorms, and take the gondola up to the top of the mountain and hike the four-ish miles back down.

The first mile was wonderful – the scenery was gorgeous, there was a breeze, the trail was groomed... and then it started POURING. Pouring! I spent the next three miles walking through a downpour, sliding through mud, and trying to keep my iPod dry by stuffing it into my underwear. And then NATURALLY the rain let up right as the end of the trail came into sight. And then? It didn't rain THE REST OF THE TIME I WAS IN UTAH.

It is not raining yet, that's why I am still smiling.

The rest of the trip made up for that afternoon, I promise. I spent most of my time hanging with the Huggies team in our sponsor suite, talking to people about diaper need in America. It was amazing how many people were completely shocked at the facts – primarily that one in three American moms will struggle with diaper need at some point. Some women were actually moved to tears in that room, so powerful is this message. One woman in particular stood out to me – she had her son with her and she told me that she uses cloth on him, but that she really supported the Huggies cause because she knows she is lucky enough to be able to choose what she uses for her baby, when so many women can't. It still gives me goosebumps.

One of the other amazing things that happened in that suite was that Huggies was able to donate more than 150 packs of diapers to a local Utah charity. We asked visitors to the suite to write down a wish for a baby on a card, and then tie it to our little Huggies ribbon tree, and by the end of the weekend, we had collected far more than we could have ever expected. The turnout was great, and we were so thankful for everyone's participation in the program.

I was also lucky enough to spend a lot of time with Joanne Goldblum, who founded one of the first diaper banks in the United States and who was also there with Huggies. I have to start by saying Joanne and her family (her husband and her 13-year-old son were with her) were wonderful to me – and I ended up spending a lot of time hanging out with them, and joking that they were my new adoptive family. They were SO MUCH FUN, and I have never met a more mature (and possibly more adorable) 13-year-old boy. I let him EAT OFF MY PLATE, you guys. That's how adorable and awesome he was. And Joanne has such a passion for the work of diaper donation, it's really inspiring.

My biggest takeaway from Joanne is that she pointed out that hygiene products aren't necessarily covered by food stamps or WIC programs for those living in poverty. Meaning that tampons, shampoo, and soap (along with diapers) are things that are out of reach for a lot of people – which also means that (and Joanne has seen this first-hand) there are times when children are being fed and cared for, but are reported to CPS for neglect because they are unclean. Oh, this breaks my heart. There are actually children in this country who live in danger of being relocated to foster care because they – and their parents – are simply dirty. No no no no. We can FIX THIS.

Thank you, Huggies, for the opportunity to be on site at evo, but also, for the opportunity to share this information with more of the world.

Comments

[Jaime]

Love this.

[HereWeGoAJen]

That sounds like a wonderful trip.

And even though I am a cloth diaper user myself (well, not MYSELF), I totally appreciate and support what Huggies is doing. I think it is a wonderful thing.

[Megan]

This post just brought me to tears. I'm in the midst of potty-training one kid and the other child is in diapers, and I've never realized before how lucky I was to have the money to afford something as basic as diapers. You're right, this is a problem we can fix. Thank you again for the post.

[JD @ Momagement]

"One in three American moms will struggle with diaper need at some point."

This is totally shocking to me. So sad. My husband and I have been trying to think of a lesser-known cause to support - ideally having to do with children - and this could be it. Everyone knows that babies and toddlers need diapers, but does everyone know how many people struggle to buy diapers? I'm guessing not.

Thanks for this post.

[Jamie]

I just wrote about being a diaper snob (http://chosenchaos.blogspot.com/2011/07/start-from-start.html) and now I feel awful. I was clueless about this. Next on my list is to figure out how I can help. Thank you!

[Raven]

I was 1 in 3 when Sprog was a baby. Every penny to support him (and ourselves) was a struggle. I had no idea where the money for formula or diapers was going to come from as my husband worked construction (when there was work) and I worked as a counter girl at Foley's dept store when I got pregnant. Fortunately, he was able to get a better job not long after but even then he was having to work 6 days a week and it still wasn't enough.

My mom let us grocery shop in her pantry more than once and more times than that we lived on ramen noodles, canned tuna or kraft mac n cheese. We scrimped every penny to make sure that Sprog always had diapers, formula and whatever he needed. We may have had crap but Sprog wasn't going to suffer for it. PERIOD.

His first Christmas, he only had gifts because of the hospital (I took a part time job to try and make money and he contracted RSV at the daycare) and a friend that bought him a bunch of stuff from "us" because we couldn't afford it after the medical bills (even with insurance).

It sounds really glamorous now to say that I made all of his baby food when he was little, but it was because I couldn't afford the jarred stuff.

I'm so glad he doesn't remember that stuff, but I sure do.

[Jessica]

I got a little carried away buying Size 1 diapers on Amazon mom and now I have a chunker of a baby, so I'm going to have a bunch left over. It didn't even occur to me before reading this, but I'm going to take them to the local food pantry (they take diapers). I'm so glad someone who might not have been able to afford diapers will get to use them. I can't believe I didn't think of it before!

[Beth]

I would like to say that the Every Little Bottom program is awesome, when I first brought my son home I think I changed his diaper when he was just a little wet. I found out fast that was not very wise. I couldn't imagine not being able to keep him clean. Well now he is two and I can't keep him clean, but his diaper is dry. The real reason I am commenting is that I have been a long-time reader and live in Utah. I thought about coming to say 'hi' when I read you would be here. However it felt a little stalkerish. But I hope you concider it a compliment that I considered stalking you. :)

[Lynda Otvos]

The need is great and the income disparity driving that need is reprehensible, irresponsible and mean.

Thank you and Huggies and all who contributed. That link up there at the top of the right column Rocks.

[Shawnna]

It's terrible that that families on assistance are able to buy junk food and soda, but aren't allowed to buy basic necessities like SOAP and diapers!! : ( : (

[Jen]

This sounds like an incredible program. I really like when a blogger I really enjoy reading (ahem, YOU) gets involved in something that is really meaningful and can have such an impact. Thanks for sharing.

[Vanessa]

I just want to say, that although I cloth diaper. I recieved some huggies at one of my WIC appointments and thought "oh I wont need these, Ill let babysitters use them"

Then we were hit with a VERY bad storm, 100mph winds. We lost 75% of our towns trees and we were without power for 5 DAYS. The only option I had left was to use the huggies that WIC gave me. It was a lifesaver.

Im so glad there are programs out there that help provide loving mamas with necessities when in need. Its a beautiful thing.

[Midwest RN]

Yes, lets buy diapers for the poor and underprivileged to free up their money for alcohol and illicit drugs. GOOD IDEA.

Prioritization is key. You don't lose your kids because they're "dirty". You lose your kids because you explicity fail to provide for ALL their needs.

We have become a society that finds it acceptable to essentially pay people to stay home and breed. It is cheaper (by means of WIC, Welfare, food stamps, free childcare, Medicaid, etc) for those women to stay home and squeeze out more kids than to go to work, pay taxes, and make their own way.

Don't fall victim to the socialist Kool-Aid, Emily.

[Emily]

Midwest RN, how can you say that? Look, the system doesn't work. Lots of people slip through the cracks or milk it, and I get that. It's impossible to go back to the beginning and start over.

But we're talking about fixing things for people who NEED it, and I understand that sometimes you're going to end up fixing things for people who don't deserve it while you're fixing things for people who DO, but my whole thing is that there are KIDS who are suffering here. Kids who have no control over whether their parents are doing the right thing or not. I'd rather err on the side of being taken advantage of, so that kids who are innocent in all of this can have HYGIENE PRODUCTS.

What you're saying here is that a kid is (pardon my language) shit out of luck simply because his mom would rather use her money for crack. So we should let him suffer, too? A kid is a real person; I understand that this isn't the perfect way to do things, but not everyone caught in the welfare/WIC cycle is truly an awful person - and the kids NEVER deserve it.

THINK ABOUT IT. Not everyone who is on welfare is a money-grubbing drug abusing alcoholic.

[Midwest RN]

"Not everyone who is on welfare is a money-grubbing drug abusing alcoholic." Correct. But the majority ARE.

Also, your argument about the kids being the ones to suffer... if you want to know what the child will turn into as an adult, look at the parents. Do you really think that by providing a child with brand-name diapers whose mother or father is a user, will make them any less likely to be a user? No. Kids grow up to be just like their parents.

Throwing money, err, diapers, at the problem, will not fix the problem. But that's the American way (see: current national debt). Once you start giving entitlements to these individuals, they become dependent on it and scream when you try to take it away (see: spending cuts).

In the end, I have no issue with what you're doing for the sole basis that it is private sector (and essentially if people want to throw money at a problem, fine) and NOT my tax money (for once).

[L. Stewart]

Ha, ha, that is Utah weather for you! The weatherman says one thing and it happens for like a second... and then goes back to normal. And that picture from the gondola is beautiful.

I'm so glad to hear about what you are doing. There are a lot of people in this world who need help getting diapers for their children. I was astounded to read that the numbers are so high.

[Emily]

Midwest RN, I definitely see your point about the adults. I'm with you that the system doesn't work and you're right - once people get something, you can't take it away or they cry injustice.

I guess for me, I'm still willing to risk that if we're talking about kids who are suffering. It sucks that some kids are just born into a crappy place and can't get out of it. That's what tugs at my heartstrings here - I know that throwing money or products at a parent doesn't change the parent, but there IS a chance that it can make life more bearable for the child. And yes, it's totally possible that the kid will still grow up to be like his or her parents, but we can't predict that when you're talking about a two-year-old who has to sit in his own filth because his mom makes terrible choices. And when that child is an adult, he's responsible for his own life - you can't expect a baby to be able to control anything about his own situation.

That's my personal view, I guess. I do respect yours, even if it didn't come across that way. I do appreciate your comments.