House of Prince » Help a Mother Out

No Butt Left Behind

Kim Tracy Prince — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:03:09 +0000

Some Sweetness in a Time of Sadness

Kim Tracy Prince — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 06:05:12 +0000

At this time of year I am usually running around like a crazy person collecting diapers and telling everyone I know and everyone THEY know about how I’m collecting diapers for homeless shelters and other services in Los Angeles through Help a Mother Out. And here I am, still telling you. Please go to Help a Mother Out and send a box of diapers to an agency that is most likely running low on their supply of “emergency” diapers. The babies will thank you.

But this year the wind has been taken from my sails. I’m not actively participating in a holiday diaper drive. I can’t handle much more than the basic requirements of my general person: parenting, wife-ing, editing, and bitching about stuff on Facebook. Since it’s Christmas time I have gone the extra 10 feet and turned on the twinkly lights every evening, lit candles, ordered Christmas cards, etc. Inside, I still feel like the shell of who I really am. Outside, you probably wouldn’t know, unless you really know me.

Holidays are tough for people dealing with loss. You’ve heard it, you’ve read about it, there are even webinars designed to help people cope with it. I’ve lost people I’ve loved and missed them during the holidays, but nothing like this. This is brand new.

As I mope around and slowly rejoin the ranks of regular people, people who are living lives not immediately dampened by the loss of a close friend, my children inspire me to force myself out of bed. My job inspires me to force myself into my desk chair. My husband inspires me to get out of it late at night and join him, finally.

This blog allows me a place to vent and share and reflect. When I look back on older posts I see Lisa’s comments everywhere. For you readers who have followed my story since 2004, you were her kindred spirits. I will miss her comments, her ever present cheerful empathy and support.

Anyway. My point is that because of this blog, I was invited to participate in yet another brand promotion – but this one is different. Stonyfield, the organic yogurt company, gave me and several other members of MomsLA.com $50 gift cards to give away. They said we could do whatever we wanted with it. One woman I know bought coffee for everyone in the line at Starbucks. Another one gave cash to her children to hand out to homeless people.

I stuck mine in a Christmas card and gave it to a friend who is a single mom. I know she struggles with her finances. I know the holidays are tough on her. Fifty bucks might not change her world but it can certainly buy some groceries.

I am grateful to have had that easy opportunity to help someone in at least a small way.

–

I was given $50 by Stonyfield to give away as part of their #Sweetitude program for the Holidays.

Photo by Flagstaff Fotos via Wikipedia

Add Your Name To the Diaper Act Petition

Kim Tracy Prince — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:00:07 +0000

Help Congress Help Babies

Kim Tracy Prince — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:46:38 +0000

There is active work being done in Congress to help babies get the diapers they need. We need YOUR help to push it further along.

Normally I try to stay out of politics aside from the pseudo-political discussions I have with Stewart after he watches Fox News. But now I am moved to take action.

I have been an active supporter of Help a Mother Out since May of 2009. Basically, my work with them included talking about the cause and getting people to donate diapers to homeless shelters and diaper banks throughout Southern California. But part of HAMO’s mission is to affect public policy so as to create change on a larger scale.

A few weeks ago, HAMO co-founder Lisa Truong went to Capitol Hill to meet with 2 Congressional Representatives and California’s U.S. Senators to gain support for the ”Diaper Investment and Aid to Promote Economic Recovery (“DIAPER”) Act.”. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) introduced this original piece of legislation shortly thereafter.

Basically, the bill will make it possible for daycare facilities to use their current federal aid funds to purchase diapers and wipes. Currently, they can’t use the money for that.

It’s a tiny change that doesn’t require any new funding from anyone. But it’s a huge step forward in the struggle for national governmental recognition that diaper need is a real problem.

At this point we need to place our phone calls and emails to our representatives and ask them to co-sponsor this bill. For all the goofy, sweet, and tear-jerking ways to use social media to show your support for The Diaper Act, visit HAMO’s diaper act page. Expect to see this goofiness up in here pretty soon.

Contact your U.S. legislators today at their Washington D.C. office. Find your U.S. Congressperson here . Find your U.S. Senator here. Phone calls to their D.C. office are best, a direct email is good too. Word on the street is online petitions are weighted less by legislators, which is why we are asking you to contact your representatives the old fashioned way today.
Tell them you want them to co-sponsor the DIAPER Bill, sponsored by Representative DeLauro. Here is a form letter you can copy/paste/customize in email.
Ask your legislator to contact DeLauro’s office (Leticia Mederos atleticia.mederos@mail.house.gov or call 202-225-3661)

Just this month the Wall Street Journal reported on diaper need in this tough economy. It is time to act on behalf of vulnerable families. We can change public policy. Thank you for changing the world with your phone call and email today. We cannot do this without you.

HAMO is a proud member of The Diaper Difference Coalition

The DIAPER ACT:

Purpose of the legislation: To increase access to child care and relieve economic strain on families who cannot otherwise afford sufficient diapers for their children by amending the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to provide diapers and diapering supplies to families in need through child care providers. There is no increase in appropriation (i.e., no ask for additional federal funds) required for this legislation.

Provisions of the Legislation: Provide access to child care. A recent survey of mothers found that 4% of mothers have cut back on child care because they could not afford an adequate supply of diapers. The same study found that, in families where having enough diapers is a struggle, 22% of mothers have stayed home with their child when they were supposed to be elsewhere because they did not have enough diapers.

This is a definitional change and does NOT require any additional appropriations. The bill seeks only a definitional change that allows Child Care Development Funds to be used for diapers to improve child care quality and access.

Quick links:

Talking Points: http://www.scribd.com/doc/67609495/DIAPER-Act-Talking-Points

The Diaper Act: http://www.scribd.com/doc/67609472/The-DIAPER-Act

Diaper Act description: http://www.scribd.com/doc/67609487/DIAPER-ACT-One-Pager-091611