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Mt. Pleasant Hub
As diaper need was becoming more known as a national crisis, Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank was working to expand its reach to as many families in the region as possible. By 2018 the Diaper Bank had identified neighboring Westmoreland County as a priority area. In Westmoreland County, 65% of households live below the median income, and public transportation options are limited. With funding from United Way, the Diaper Bank started outreach efforts to connect to social service partners in the county and began diaper distribution in 2019.
With its communities spread out from one another, the approach to distribution in Westmoreland County needed a way to bring awareness and diapers to rural families who did not have access to public transportation. The Diaper Bank formed “Pop Up Westmoreland”, hosting a mobile distribution throughout the county of 70 basic need distribution events with support from the Westmoreland County Board and dedicated volunteers. From June to October 2020 they piloted the program, realizing the challenges already facing low-income and rural families, including transportation, lack of internet access to find support options, and the added restrictions from the pandemic. With one vehicle, a Diaper Bank volunteer visited 25 zip codes throughout the county and delivered 67,000 diapers to families at these mobile distributions.
With the data from the mobile distribution, Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank chose the town of Mt. Pleasant to open a distribution hub for its proximity to both Allegheny and Fayette counties. Officially established in November 2020 to support the growing need in rural communities that lack access to basic needs items, the Mt. Pleasant Hub now serves nine partner agencies in Westmoreland and Fayette Counties and helps over 1,000 families annually.
Open Office Hours
WPADB has partnered with The Mt. Pleasant Church of God to serve residents in the Mt. Pleasant area (15666 zip code). Their distributions fall on the last Thursday of every month from 10 am - 11:30 am in their Christian Ministries Center at 936 West Main Street Mt. Pleasant, PA 15666. WPADB’s physical location in Mt. Pleasant offers open office hours on Thursdays from 10 am - 2 pm for residents of any other zip code in the nearby area at 605 North Church Street Mt. Pleasant, PA 15666. It also serves as a connector to other social services and overstock items it receives from in-kind donations like formula, books, and children’s clothing.
During a survey of Mt. Pleasant Hub walk-in clients, 100% of those surveyed were satisfied with their experience and service offered; 100% of clients shared that receiving these products helped their mental health; and 50% of clients shared that transportation was an issue.
The thing I love coming here is we we get to wrap diapers for families that do not have diapers for their babies.
- Work Discovery Southmoreland High School Students