Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandi Jack.
Hi Brandi, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I moved to Tennessee in 2019 to start a business dedicated to new families (focusing on the prenatal period through pre-K). Life had different plans, and my business was destroyed in the March 2nd tornado in 2020.
This is when I found Nashville Diaper Connection (NashDiaper). With a passion for helping others, a love of babies, a background in business management, a prior desire to work in the nonprofit sector, and a lot of time on my hands, NashDiaper was a perfect fit. When the tornado was followed by the closedown due to the pandemic, NashDiaper checked another box, which allowed me to problem-solve.
Over the past 3 years, I have been a part of NashDiaper’s amazing growth. From its inception in 2013 to 2019, NashDiaper did a lot of growing. Ending 2019 distributing 867,500 was a great feat for a company run with 1 full-time and 1 part-time employee. In 2020, I joined NashDiaper along with 2 others bringing the company up to 4 employees (2 full-time and 2 part-time).
The problem-solving that I love allowed me to grow NashDiaper’s distribution to over 2 million in 2020 with the help of our partner agencies. Starting with “19” partners in Davidson County in 2019 we have grown to 83 partner agencies and 34 clinic locations across 18 counties in Middle Tennessee where families can receive diapers.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The transition that brought me to NashDiaper was bittersweet. But I would not give it up.
Every day here is a challenge. As a nonprofit, there is always the struggle with wanting to do more, but having to find the funds to make that happen. My biggest struggle is balancing what I want to do with what I can do; financially and logistically. Everything at the diaper bank is strategic and it functions in a circular manner.
Families need diapers. NashDiaper needs funds to purchase diapers, we need volunteers to process (wrap) diapers, and we need partners to distribute diapers. A diaper bank functions on three things: Diapers, Dollars, and Doers.
With the last two, we can come up with the first. The diapers NashDiaper offers via our partner agencies are supplemental. Families are given 50 diapers per child per month. Knowing this is not enough is a struggle as well. I have to come to terms with the fact that I can only do so much.
With 1 in 3 families struggling with diaper insecurity in Middle Tennessee and limited resources, we do the best we can with what we have. Then we come back, do it again the next day and try to figure out how we can do more.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am the Operations Director at Nashville Diaper Connection. I have the pleasure and the challenge of working through all things diapers at our site.
NashDiaper is Middle Tennessee’s only and Tennessee’s largest diaper bank. A diaper bank works similarly to a food bank, supplying supplemental diapers to families in need via a network of partner organizations. With the help of our partners, NashDiaper distributed over 2.3 million diapers to families in 2022.
Diapers are not covered by any federal, state, or local agency. And diapers are expensive. Families can pay upward of $100 per month to supply one child with diapers. Children without an adequate supply of diapers can not attend childcare (which also means parents can not work or attend school). Children without clean diapers are more prone to UTIs and diaper rashes. Babies with soiled diapers are more apt to cry. And parents who do not have diapers to offer their babies can find themselves feeling stuck and at a loss in their situation.
In addition to our 83 community partners NashDiaper partners with 32 Middle Tennessee clinics to offer diapers to families who receive their routine well visits. And in 2021 we began our “Diapers for Diplomas” program at the 4 Middle Tennessee Community Colleges (all campuses) to offer diapers to parenting students.
I am proud of my team and the work we do every day. This year, NashDiaper, with our team of 5 employees will distribute over 2.6 million diapers to families in need. This is over 4,000 children a month. It is not enough, but we will continue to grow. We will continue to find the funding to help more babies stay clean, healthy, and dry.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Our motto: “No Child Wet Behind”.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.NashvilleDiaperConnection.org
- Instagram: @NashDiaperBank
- Facebook: @NashDiaperBank
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandi-jack-0651124b/
Image Credits
Rachel Black
