More than 70 volunteers sorted and counted the diapers and wipes at St. John Properties’ Ashburn Crossing during HomeAid National Capital Region’s Diaper Drive

Since Mother’s Day, businesses across Northern Virginia have been collecting diapers and wipes to support HomeAid National Capital Region’s Builders for Babies Diaper Drive. The program aims to help local nonprofits who serve families experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Participating individuals and businesses were asked to collect diapers and wipes by hosting collection events and encouraging clients and employees to donate physical boxes of diapers or by making a monetary donation through HomeAid’s website. The money raised online was utilized to purchase diapers and wipes through a wholesaler who delivered the supplies to the St. John Properties’ Ashburn Crossing collection and staging site.

The drive ended on Father’s Day and more than 1.2 million items were collected surpassing last year’s total of 766,000 and marking a nearly 60 percent increase. Ashburn Crossing served as the collection point for the past two years where the diapers were dropped off, sorted, and inventoried in order to be organized and delivered. St. John Properties employees and other volunteer groups helped with this undertaking to ensure each of the nonprofits received the correct sizes and amounts of diapers they requested.

“We are extremely grateful for the outpouring of support generated by our annual diaper drive which directly impacts local families who cannot afford the more than $100 needed each month to provide necessary items for each child,” stated Kristyn Burr, CEO of HomeAid National Capital Region, the local affiliate of the national organization which builds and maintains housing and programmatic facilities for nonprofit organizations and public institutions. “We have been organizing this effort since 2018 and it has grown exponentially, in terms of company and volunteer involvement, supplies donated, and money raised. This response speaks to the tremendous challenges families have, as well as the selfless support provided by companies and volunteers which are willing to step up and make a meaningful difference in our community. This program helps families bridge the diaper insecurity gap, reduces stress, and improves the physical wellbeing and health of an infant.”

Last week, over 70 volunteers gathered at Ashburn Crossing to helped load the donated diapers and wipes onto about 30 volunteers’ trucks and vehicles, which were then dispatched to more than 45 nonprofits across Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, Richmond, and the Shenandoah Valley.

“Sixteen St. John Properties team members participated in this effort and each one fully understands the importance of assisting needy families and individuals,” explained Matt Holbrook, Regional Partner for St. John Properties. “Our space at Ashburn Crossing is centrally located and perfectly suited to handle the warehousing needs of this drive and we were more than happy to offer it again to support this extremely important effort. This initiative aligns with our SJP Engage program, whose mission is to coordinate volunteer opportunities with company employees to positively impact the communities in which our company has a presence. Our team realizes that many Northern Virginia-area individuals struggle to adequately provide for their families and are unaware of the resources available to them. We are passionate about lending our help and helping important causes such as this one.”

Serving as Co-Chairmen of the Diaper Drive are Tom Hyde, COO, Miller & Smith and Peter Lee, Vice President, M&T Bank. “Kristyn Burr asked for assistance three years ago, and it was impossible to turn down this extremely worthwhile and important effort,” Lee explained. “It is important for M&T to form strong touchpoints in the local community and our mandate is to get involved and make a difference. This is a unifying effort and we highly encourage other local businesses and individuals to participate.”

HomeAid National Capital Region provides safe and dignified housing and programmatic facilities for those experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness by maximizing their relationships within the building industry to garner in-kind donations of labor and materials. To achieve its mission, HomeAid connects regional builders and housing industry professionals with nonprofits focused on ending homelessness. This connection allows each group to do what they do best. HomeAid National Capital Region is the official nonprofit of the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association (NVBIA) and is a chapter of HomeAid America. For more information about HomeAid, visit www.homeaidncr.org.