Gr8 neighbor delivers diapers to needy

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - A Slidell woman is on a mission to help young mothers and elderly people in our area who struggle to afford diapers.

It started a couple of years ago when Robin Grigsby came across a young mother, still in high school, in need of help.

“I started sending out emails to people I knew. I was like, ‘Hey, if you have any extra diapers, let me know,’” Grigsby said.

She quickly realized she wanted to do more, and Holy Diapers was born.

“And I just put it on Facebook and people would just randomly send me stuff,” Grigsby said. "Then I would just meet people in parking lots and be like, here are your diapers.”

Grigsby said it soon became clear the demand for diapers for the elderly was just as high.

“A lot of people throw diapers away, so you’re just adding to the landfill when there are people in need. And it’s a lot of people in need,” Grigsby said.

There are drop-off locations at the Slidell and Metairie offices of Right at Home, a provider of home healthcare services.

“It’s actually been great,” said franchise owner Ethel Harris, who has watched the Holy Diapers non-profit grow. “When people lose their spouses, dads or moms and they have all these diapers, that generation isn’t the throw away generation,” says Harris. “They realize this is a waste and they start calling.”

From picking up donations - on this day from the Hospice House in Slidell - to dropping them off to those in need all over the metro area, Grigsby does it all by herself. She is focused on helping those who can’t help themselves.

At the Roquette Lodge in Mandeville, more than two dozen seniors will benefit from a recent donation of diapers and bed pads.

“When you’re incontinent, it’s something that you need every day and they’re very expensive on the market. They can’t afford them, so this makes a huge difference,” said Babette Charbonnet, service coordinator at Roquette. “And it allows them to get out and go places instead of being home-bound.”

For Grigsby, the reward is so much greater.

“It feels good. I just want people to know that people care because there are so many people out there who don’t care,” Grigsby said as she wiped away tears. “So people need to know there’s hope. That’s why I do it.”

A great neighbor shedding tears of joy over being able to change the lives of both the young and the old.

We want to share your stories about the great neighbors in our area.

Go to www.fox8live.com/gr8neighbors and tell us about the unsung heroes making a difference in your community.

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