East Point mom's foundation helps families with free baby necessities

ATLANTA - Jaycina Almond is a mom with a mission of helping other moms in metro Atlanta who are struggling to make ends meet. Almond knows from experience what it's like to be a single mom. That's why she started the nonprofit The Tender Foundation to provide a safety net for moms struggling to pay for basic necessities.

"Demand is high. We have families that send recurrent requests, multiple requests, and sometimes even requesting more than a single pack of diapers at a time," said Makayla Richards, the nonprofit's diaper bank program manager.

Volunteers with The Tender Foundation pack diapers, wipes and formula every other weekend at its warehouse in East Point. The boxes then get delivered to the families who requested them.

"Diaper need is something that most of us don't realize is an actual need," Almond explained. "That means families are missing out on work. If you don't have diapers, you can't drop your kids at daycare. Daycare doesn't provide those."

The nonprofit was born from Almond's own journey into motherhood. She said she wanted to make it easier for single moms to get the help they need without any strings attached. The nonprofit helps families with everything from emergency financial assistance to providing necessities like diapers and wipes.

"We believe if families are looking for diapers, if they're on Google searching for diapers, then they need them," Almond said. "We have no eligibility requirements."

The foundation's impact has provided nearly 200 families with diapers and baby wipes and has also kept nearly 100 others in their homes.

"We all know everyone is being impacted by the cost of gas and other items going up," Richards said.

The foundation told FOX 5 the need has been especially great since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation has only made matter worse.

"I think that folks don't recognize diaper need as something that's real. For folks that don't have children in diapers, they're unfamiliar with the fact that as diapers go up in size, you get less of them, but the cost remains the same," Richards said.

You can donate to The Tender Foundation’s mission via their website and you can also schedule donation pickup or drop-offs. The diaper bank's most needed sizes are size 4, 5, 6, and all pull-up sizes.