Rotarians stuff bus to help New Hope shelter

MOSES LAKE — It takes a lot of diapers to keep an emergency shelter going.

“Having diapers is certainly a basic need for many of the clients we serve,” said Suzi Fode, director of New Hope in Moses Lake.

New Hope manages the county’s emergency shelter, which helps women and children leaving abuse and domestic violence.

So about a decade ago, the Rotary Club of Moses Lake decide the best way it could help was to provide diapers and baby wipes. By stuffing a bus. With nearly a year’s worth.

“We actually saw there was a diaper drive in Spokane for a crisis nursery there, so we contacted New Hope and asked if there was a need,” said Dave Campbell, the president-elect of the Rotary Club of Moses Lake.

This year, the Rotarians raised around $2,700 for diapers and baby wipes, and with the help of the Boys & Girls Club of the Columbia Basin, they trucked the supplies over to New Hope on Monday, June 18, and with the help of volunteers Amanda Walker and Gary Ash, Campbell said the Rotary unloaded them as well.

“Club members donate the money, and Walmart gives us a good deal in bulk. We contact New Hope ahead of time and see what’s needed,” Campbell said.

Both Campbell and Fode said the diapers last about a year.

“It offers someone something they need in their time of need,” Fode said. “Domestic violence is a complex problem, but this is a simple way to help and for the community to get involved.”

Fode said New Hope really appreciates the Rotary’s role in helping keep New Hope a safe and welcoming place for those in need.

“It’s hard to think about some of these dark things, so this donation is a good thing,” Fode said. “We love our Rotarians.”