The latest event at the link in Nocatee is bound to turn a few heads. Starting at 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 21, more than 40 volunteers from PenFed Credit Union and the Diaper Bank for Northeast Florida will gather to bundle and wrap 10,000 diapers to prepare them for distribution to families in need living in Northeast Florida.
It’s one of the many service projects that credit union volunteers perform each year.
“PenFed is proud to give back to the communities we serve,” said Spencer Kenyon, senior manager of corporate communications. “PenFed donated over $423,000 to 10 charitable organizations during the first quarter of 2024 and will continue to support the communities where its employees live and work throughout the year.”
Diaper Bank for Northeast Florida was founded in 2019 by Crystal Parks, a Jacksonville mother of two, in response to a lack of public assistance for struggling families to purchase diapers. According to the National Diaper Bank Network, 47% of families struggle to afford diapers. That’s up from one in three families short of diapers prior to the pandemic.
To date, Diaper Bank for Northeast Florida has distributed more than 850,000 diapers, helping to cover 17,000 babies.
This month, diaper banks nationwide are holding “The World’s Largest Diaper Drive.” Parks hopes to collect 25,000 diapers to help 500 babies in Northeast Florida.
“The Diaper Bank for Northeast Florida is a wonderful organization,” said Krysta Case, manager of mortgage loan operations for PenFed. She will be among those volunteers on Tuesday.
Case credited Tina Fox-Harris, PenFed senior learning partner, with identifying the Diaper Bank’s need. Past service events included assembling United Way financial literacy kits and support for Wreaths Across America, Habitat for Humanity and others.
To learn more about Diaper Bank of Northeast Florida, go to jaxdiaperbank.org. To learn more about “The World’s Largest Diaper Drive” go to jaxdiaperbank.org/events. To learn more about PenFed Credit Union, go to penfed.org.
