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Michela Hugo learned similar lessons early on in parenthood that Taylor and Matt Sourwine encountered while raising their now 1-year-old son. As the three prioritized their newborns’ wellbeing, the cost of diapers put into perspective the stress that low-income parents may face every day.

“I had a baby at the time, so I was really tuned in about moms and those struggling,” said Hugo, the founder and director of CNY Diaper Bank.

Since becoming parents in 2019, the Sourwines, who are the owners of Syracuse Clothing Co., had considered partnering with the CNY Diaper Bank. A year later, in November 2020, CNY Diaper Bank reached out to begin that partnership.

To help the bank’s efforts, Matt and Taylor created a clothing line fundraiser where they will donate most of the proceeds from specialty items to the CNY Diaper Bank. Some proceeds from the store’s other products will be donated as well. The fundraiser began in January and will run throughout February.

The CNY Diaper Bank distributes an average of 185,000 diapers each month, and distribution doubled after the pandemic started in March.

“There’s a need for this in the community, and to think that some parents are having to make decisions between putting food on the table or buying diapers,” Matt said.

Hugo hopes the partnership will increase awareness about the need for more access to diapers in Syracuse. The bank works with multiple partner organizations in the community, whose volunteers hand out the diapers to parents in need.

For the fundraiser, the Sourwines created a baby onesie and youth t-shirt as special fundraising items. Courtesy of Taylor Sourwine

Diapers have more than just a financial cost. Other problems can arise when a baby is in a dirty diaper for a long time, with it making them prone to infection and diaper rashes, cry more, and cause increased stress for the parents, Hugo said.

“The more stressed you are, the less effective you can be as a parent,” which can impact a child’s development, Hugo said.

For the fundraiser, the Sourwines created a baby onesie and youth T-shirt as special fundraising items, which each cost $25. Taylor wanted the design to embrace Valentine’s Day, and Matt came up with the phrase “Born, Raised, and Loved in Syracuse,” which is printed on the clothing items.

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Matt, who designed the logo, said it allows people to represent Syracuse with their clothes. He made sure to incorporate the heart in the diaper bank’s logo in the design.

CNY Diaper Bank also designed their own collection that is sold on Syracuse Clothing Co.’s website and will be available after the fundraiser ends in February. The line has additional apparel and lifestyle items with designs highlighting the nonprofit.

The business gives back by donating a portion of their proceeds to a different local nonprofit every two months. And for the Sourwines, this fundraiser is about more than just raising money.

“We just felt so connected to the diaper bank,” Taylor said. “We wanted to make sure that we could give as much back as we could to them so we created these different lines and different products that help them out.”

Published on February 10, 2021 at 9:08 pm