$25,000 grant from HCA Healthcare Foundation to the Junior League of Tampa at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital
The grant supports a new independent nonprofit diaper bank that was originally a Junior League of Tampa program providing diapers to families in need
HCA Healthcare Foundation awarded a $25,000 grant to the Junior League of Tampa to support a new independent nonprofit organization, a diaper bank, that started as a Junior League of Tampa program. HCA Florida Healthcare leaders will present a $25,000 check to the Junior League of Tampa and the newly formed diaper bank board of directors at a celebratory diaper bank launch event on Saturday, March 8, at 10:00am at 87 Columbus Drive in Tampa.
The event will host a “stuffing the truck” event where a truck load of diaper donations will be sent off to help kickstart the new diaper bank’s work. The new name of the diaper bank will also be announced as part of the event.
HCA Florida Brandon Hospital, as a part of HCA Florida Healthcare has been working with the Junior League of Tampa on the diaper bank program supporting local families access to diapers. Since its inception, the bank has grown exponentially from 100,000 to 1,000,000 diapers distributed annually.
“We are excited to see this program that has been successfully stewarded by the Junior League of Tampa continue to grow into a non-profit organization. With a mom and baby and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Brandon Hospital, we want to support families in Tampa Bay in need of diapers, which is essential to keeping babies healthy,” said Tripp Owings, chief executive officer at Brandon Hospital.
The diaper bank project became a separate 501(c)(3) organization to ensure long-term sustainability aimed at eliminating diaper need in Tampa Bay. With this grant from the HCA Healthcare Foundation, the new organization will be better poised to provide a basic necessity to families that currently lack access to diapers.
The Junior League of Tampa started the diaper bank program in 2017 and has distributed over 2.5 million diapers. The growth and impact of this initiative has demonstrated the tremendous need in the community for these baby care essentials.
“Families with access to clean diapers are able to care for the basic needs of their baby. With limited diaper supplies to change a baby regularly, the child risks severe diaper rash, infections and discomfort, which increases crying and distress. Parents struggle too with the stress that surrounds not being able to care properly for their child,” said Dr. Kiran Dwarakanath, neonatologist and medical director at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital.
The grant funding for the newly formed nonprofit supporting families in need of diapers is part of the HCA Healthcare Foundation’s Healthier Tomorrow Fund, a community impact fund with an initial investment of $75 million focused on addressing high priority community needs and health equity.
Since its inception in 1998, the HCA Healthcare Foundation has contributed over $300 million in grants and matching gifts to more than 14,000 agencies and organizations. In 2024, the Healthier Tomorrow Fund gave $6.4 million in grants across 15 divisions to nonprofits with a defined focus on healthy starts for young families, heart health, mental wellness and fighting food insecurity. Additionally, HCA Healthcare continues to invest in the ongoing education and development of its colleagues and, as an enterprise, contributed $48.5 million to community organizations in 2024.
“HCA Healthcare colleagues are driven by our mission to care for and improve human life,” said Joanne Pulles, president of the HCA Healthcare Foundation. “That mission extends outside the walls of our facilities and into our communities. Partnering with other organizations has always allowed us to unlock possibilities for improving health and well-being.”
For more information visit the HCA Healthcare Foundation.