Share Our Spare Supplies in van. Advocacy
Share Our Spare Supplies in bins. Advocacy
Share Our Spare Double stroller. Advocacy

Diaper Need

Share Our Spare diaper

Unmet diaper need is so much more than a basic need; it has physiological, mental health and economic impacts.

Diaper need is the lack of a sufficient amount of diapers to keep a baby clean, dry and healthy. Children in low-income families are at greatest risk of suffering the effects of diaper need because many cannot afford diapers.

Diapers can cost an average family $70 to $80 per month per child, which is equal to about 14% of the monthly income of families experiencing poverty.

Public assistance programs do not cover diapers, which also are taxed as luxury items.

Several states have advocated with legislation to remove taxes on diapers to reduce the burden; Illinois is NOT one of those states.

Diaper need affects a family’s ability to nurture happy and healthy babies. Without diapers, babies also cannot attend daycare or participate in early education programs, hindering their parents ability to go to work and school.

Unmet diaper need is cited as the number one mental health stressor for new parents.

By working together, we can make diapers more affordable and accessible for all, ensuring that babies across the state have access to clean diapers and other basic necessities required for them to thrive and reach their full potential.

Check back here for progress updates on the work of the Illinois Diaper Bank Coalition and how you can get involved.

Alex Goodfellow

Executive Director

Alex has more than 10 years of nonprofit experience, including five years with The Little Bit Foundation in St. Louis, MO, where she directed the organization’s programming and strategic partnerships and contributed to revenue growth of more than 300%. Prior to SOS, she served as Manager of Corporate Partnerships for One Million Degrees, a Chicago-based nonprofit serving scholars in post-secondary programs. Alex also has experience in domestic violence, as well as youth advocacy. She holds a Master’s in Social Work from the George Warren Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis and a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Saint Louis University.

Share Our Spare Bridget Rundquist

Bridget Rundquist

Director of Partnerships and Community Engagement

A native Chicagoan, Bridget is a mission-driven professional with extensive experience serving young people, working in the intersection of education and social work, and building relationships with diverse communities of stakeholders. Bridget holds a Master’s in Social Work from the George Warren Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis and a Bachelor’s in History with minors in Education and Psychology from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. She spent a semester abroad in Northern Uganda studying Post-Conflict Resolution and has spent several summers in Jerusalem with Project Harmony Israel.

Jesseca Rhymes

Director of Operations and Development

Jesseca began her career with Apartments.com, where she worked directly with property managers and management companies. She also has served as an assistant property manager with Mercy Housing and as the assignments coordinator at DePaul University’s Department of Housing. In 2015, Jesseca founded Never Go Without, which has donated over 50,000 menstruation and incontinence supplies to individuals in need around the Chicago area. She earned her Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management and has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Eastern Illinois University.

Sade Chapman

Operations Coordinator

Sade (they/them) is a community-oriented service industry professional and administrator with a passion for cultivating care through highly personalized experiences. Sade holds a Master’s in Museum Studies from the University of Illinois-Chicago and a Bachelors’ in Anthropology and International Studies from the University of Washington.

Get In Touch

Share Our Spare
3800 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, IL 60641
‭773-657-3117

Share Our Spare Lou

Louis Macmillan

Driver

Louis (Lou) attended Progressive Truck Driving School in Chicago where he received his Class A CDL license. After working at PGT Trucking, he decided to make a change in occupations and started with Share Our Spare in the fall of 2021. Lou says, “I love my job and our mission! I get to deliver essential items for children and meet a lot of new people doing important work throughout the community. I look forward to what’s to come each day!”

Sade Chapman

Operations Coordinator

Sade (they/them) is a community-oriented service industry professional and administrator with a passion for cultivating care through highly personalized experiences. Sade holds a Master’s in Museum Studies from the University of Illinois-Chicago and a Bachelors’ in Anthropology and International Studies from the University of Washington.

Lauren Arbuckle

Program Coordinator

Lauren began her journey as a civic advocate for food insecurity, during her graduate practicum at Columbia College Chicago. Outside her education, she worked as a portraiture photographer and led mental wellness programs for the elderly. The desire to help and preserve individualism in communities has led her towards collaborative work. Her avid background includes media literacy and digital production. She obtained her MA in Civic Media at Columbia College Chicago and BA in Journalism and Multimedia Studies at Roosevelt University.

Bill Ross

Auxiliary Program Coordinator

After spending years working as a cook and organizing live music events, Bill pivoted to a new field joining the Share Our Spare team in January 2022 as an AmeriCorps VISTA. He was hired on as the Auxiliary Program Coordinator at the end of his VISTA term in January 2023.

Bill currently lives in Andersonville with his partner. He enjoys his free time playing video games, biking, playing Dungeons & Dragons, and exploring Chicago’s vast landscape of restaurants. He has a passion for workers’ rights and LGBTQIA+ liberation, and hopes to pursue future opportunities related to queer advocacy and labor equity.

Brian Nunez

Driver

Brian graduated from Dominican University in May 2023 with a B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics. Brian is currently pursuing my M.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics with combined internships. Ultimately, Brian wants to become a Registered Dietician and a community nutrition educator. Brian’s hometown is Chicago and he loves how expansive it is. Driving for SOS allows him to explore new parts of the city and suburbs.

Yaya Nelson

Program Coordinator

Yaya is an experienced multimedia professional who is passionate about civic collaboration and immersive media. In 2023, she launched Chicago Moon, a platform created to moonlight the live sets of artist DJs performing throughout the city in various locations. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Film Production from California State University, Sacramento.

Jonathan Jackson

Development Associate

Jonathan is passionate about developing a circular economy across Chicago. He has supported grant/application writing, compliance reporting, and policy and procedure development for social service organizations and non-profit development funds in Chicago and beyond. He has a BA in Psychology and an MA in Industrial Organizational Psychology.

Sydney Lenzini

Community Engagement Coordinator

Sydney graduated from Kalamazoo College in 2024 with a BA in Anthropology and Sociology. Born and raised in Chicago, she is most passionate about working to build a brighter future for the city and is excited to start her career in the field of nonprofits/social services! Sydney has experience in educational support and ESL instruction and is motivated in all her endeavors to uplift youth and families!

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