Against odds, teen collects thousands of diapers in social media campaign
Seventeen-year-old Diego Robbins thought he’d be spending his days out of school during the pandemic having a great time.
“I thought I was going to be able to play video games all day long and watch Netflix. I thought it was going to be everything I ever wanted," he said.
But that excitement was short lived.
“Two or three weeks into online schooling, I realized I had way too much time on my hands," said Diego.
He noticed SOS San Antonio was looking for students to create a video thanking front line workers.
“That’s when I realized, wow, maybe I could do something more constructive with my time than watching the office for the fifth time," he said.
The video was motivation.
An inspiration to do more.
He’d worked with the Texas Diaper Bank in the past, so he figured, why not organize a diaper drive.
Linda Lopez with the diaper bank wasn't so sure it would work out.
“I was like, God help him, I don’t want him to be disappointed," she said.
Lopez said the COVID pandemic has made diaper donations hard to come by.
“Not only have they lost their job or their hours have been cut, so they’re kind of thinking twice about donating," she said.
Not to mention traditional diaper drives are harder to do with social distancing.
But Diego had a trick up his sleeve. Something his generation knows a lot about.
“I took to social media," he said. "I made posts and videos and stories about, look at this great cause and this is how you can help in these times.”
Instead of putting donation bins in public areas, he asked his friends if he could turn their front yards into donation areas.
It worked.
“By the second or third week, my entire dining room was full of diapers. My house smelled like a nursery," he said.
He ended up more than 6,000 diapers, along with thousands of baby wipes and other products for infants.
“When he called me and told me the number of diapers that he had raised for us, I was in shock," said Lopez.
“It was just astounding to see the community come together and ban together for something bigger than themselves," said Diego.
Lopez said they're in need of more diapers and baby products. To get help organizing a drive of your own, or to get more information, click here.
