It all started in a Sandy, Utah, garage.
The founder of the Utah Diaper Bank, a retired Victor Velivis, remembers hauling nearly 20,000 diapers out of his home each month to meet the needs of struggling families. “I didn’t have a motorcycle in a kitchen,” he joked, “but I had diapers in every room.“
What began in 2013 as a grassroots volunteer effort — after Velivis saw a crisis nursery begging for diapers on TV and realized no government support existed — has grown into a statewide operation distributing nearly 2 million diapers annually.
But what once felt like a dream milestone — reaching 2 million — is now only half of what’s needed. “We’re still all volunteers,” Velivis said. “The only reason we’ve been able to grow is because the community steps up.”
A call for help
Last Friday, supplies were running dangerously low, just as families were facing the added expenses of back-to-school season. Within hours, the America First Credit Union Charitable Foundation answered, delivering 22 pallets — 122,346 diapers — to restock the Murray warehouse and keep distribution going.
This is not an uncommon problem. One in two families nationwide struggle to afford diapers, according to the National Diaper Bank Network, and in Utah, more than 45% of families experiencing diaper need face an impossible choice each month: buy food or buy diapers.
The first diaper drive took place at a junior high school in Ogden, with students collecting just 11,000 diapers that first year.
Today, the Utah Diaper Bank coordinates with 35 to 40 nonprofits and government agencies across the state. On the second and last Wednesday of each month, volunteers pack shipments that are sent to food pantries, shelters and community centers. These groups then distribute the diapers directly to families in need.
Over the years, generous donors have provided warehouse space, corporations have joined in and six years ago, HomeAid Utah launched its annual diaper drive, now the largest in the state.
HomeAid Utah’s Diaper Drive
Much of the growth has been fueled by community generosity and HomeAid Utah’s Diaper Drive. Over the past six years, HomeAid Utah — a nonprofit of homebuilders — has run the state’s largest diaper drive. Each year, donations surpass the previous record. In 2024, the drive collected more than 1 million diapers, 34,434 wipes, and nearly 240 ounces of formula.
At the event, companies construct massive sculptures from donated diapers — everything from Barbie’s Dream House to the Eiffel Tower — often collecting for months in advance. While food trucks, DJs and family activities draw crowds to IKEA’s Draper parking lot, the spectacle, Velivis says, is “a sight to behold,” but its real impact is measured in the truckloads of diapers that follow.
The diaper crisis
For parents with babies and young children, diapers are a necessity, but for low-income families, they are one of the largest household expenses, ranking fourth after rent, utilities and food.
The average child uses roughly 6,000 diapers in the first two years of life, about eight per day. Without a supply, children cannot attend day care, and parents often miss work. On average, families lose four days of income each month when they run out of diapers.
With nearly 146,000 children under the age of 3 in Utah, the need is immense. And unlike food, there is no government subsidy or program like SNAP to help cover the cost of diapers.
Together, the Utah Diaper Bank and HomeAid’s drive provide not just diapers, wipes and formula, but stability, allowing families to work, access child care and focus on their children’s well-being.
As Velivis puts it, “Everyone wants to see babies have a clean diaper.”
The Utah Food Bank has become a critical partner in distribution. However, over the past two years, the demand at food banks doubled, according to Velivis, and the ripple effect has hit the diaper bank.
“The diapers we gave to food banks used to last until the end of the month,” Velivis explained. “Now they’re gone in one or two weeks.” He noted that inflation pushed many families who were just getting by over the edge.
What once seemed like it would be enough — 2 million diapers a year — is now only half of what’s needed. Other states distribute more than 5 million annually and still struggle to keep up, according to Velivis. Utah is quickly heading in the same direction.
Lawmakers are beginning to take notice of the growing need. As previously reported by the Deseret News, in March, Rep. Rosalba Dominguez, D-Salt Lake City, proposed HB547, which would create a Diapering Supplies Fund for families in need in Utah, allowing taxpayers to voluntarily donate to the fund through their state income tax returns.
2025’s HomeAid Utah’s diaper drive
This year’s diaper drive will take place on Friday, Aug. 22, in the IKEA parking lot in Draper. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and attendees can experience the incredible diaper creations, participate in activities and vote for their favorite diaper house.
Those who wish can donate diapers online or at the event.
Impact on families and community
For parents, donated diapers mean more than convenience: they mean stability. A full supply allows children to stay happy and healthy and, for some families, attend day care, which keeps parents in the workforce. It reduces stress at home and allows families to redirect money toward food and housing.
With Utah’s largest diaper drive just ahead, Velivis hopes the community will once again prove what he’s learned after more than a decade of hauling diapers from his garage: When families need help, Utah shows up.