Northeastern Wisconsin’s Fox Cities Diaper Bank was robbed of some 100,000 donated diapers intended for financially struggling families, and investigators have little information to go on.
Sometime between January 3 and February 13, $45,000 worth of diapers was stolen from a diaper bank in Fox Crossing, Wisconsin, the Post-Crescent reported.
It is unclear if the diapers were taken in a single theft or multiple swoops during that time, but what is clear is that thieves made off with 13 pallets containing 1,777 cases, estimated to contain a total of 100,000 nappies.
The diaper bank is a project of the charity United Way Fox Cities, which receives donations from local residents, businesses and other organizations.
“That’s a lot of diapers and it serves a lot of people,” Jason Weber, the Fox Crossing Police Department’s community liaison officer, told the Post-Crescent. “This (theft) is a kick in the pants for a good program. That’s the sad part.”
The diaper bank is a valuable source for low-income families. The initiative helps 875 babies each month, Nanci Micke, vice president of marketing and communities for United Way Fox Cities, told the newspaper. Last year, around 300,000 diapers were provided to the community, which is made up of four cities and over a dozen towns and villages.