Parishioners of St. Joseph Church in Newton held a diaper drive in November. (Photos provided by Joe Purello)CHARLOTTE — Families with young children in western North Carolina are expressing their gratitude to Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte for diaper drives held at 19 parishes and one Catholic school this year in honor of the diocese’s 50th anniversary.
The organization’s Wee Care Ministry has especially been a godsend for one young woman who was left to care for her little brothers after their mother died. She sent her heartfelt thanks to Silvia Echeverria, a case manager for Catholic Charities.
“We have many families who are always very grateful to the Wee Care program because we have helped them through difficult times in their lives,” Echeverria said. “Wee Care has helped this young woman with diapers, clothes and things for the home, and she says with the money she saves on diapers she can now pay bills and buy other items for her family.”
Case Manager Gina Cabrera added, “They also feel that they are not alone, they feel that they are accompanied. They not only appreciate the material but also the humane treatment that we provide to them.”
The same is true for hundreds of families across the region.
Joe Purello, director of social concerns and advocacy for Catholic Charities, and Jesse Boeckermann, western region director for Catholic Charities, worked together to organize a variety of diaper drives at churches and schools throughout the diocese in 2022. The charitable acts marked this year’s 50th anniversary of the diocese.
With the help of volunteers and donors, Catholic Charities supplied essential baby care items and other necessities to more than 500 families with infants and small children. The Wee Care Collections initiative is an outgrowth of Catholic Charities’ Wee Care Ministry that has been serving families for 25 years.
“Catholic Charities’ Wee Care Ministry is one of the many ways that the Diocese of Charlotte walks with moms, dads and children in need,” said Purello. “Providing such assistance helps families with young children who are struggling on limited budgets, and Catholic Charities is very grateful to all the parishes and schools that help make the work of Catholic Charities possible.”
The donations of diapers and wipes were quickly distributed through Catholic Charities’ offices. Asheville-based Catholic Charities staff and volunteers also participated in two community fairs – the Health, Hope and Recovery Rally at Riverfront Park in Bryson City, and the Cherokee County Resource Fair in Murphy – to distribute many of the diapers and wipes, as well as feminine hygiene products, pet food, toiletries, toilet paper and other supplies.
The items come in blue-cloth Catholic Charities bags, a welcome sight for the families in need.
“Thank you for all the help. May God continue to bless you. The assistance of diapers and the blue bag of things for me are what I wanted. Thank you,” said one mother. 
Students from Asheville Catholic School load diapers from the collection they held in April.Another added, “All the services are excellent. My family and I are very blessed to have the aid of diapers and jackets for my children.”
“Personally, everything I have come to Catholic Charities for, they have helped me with,” said one young woman. “The folks are very nice and listen to my requests.”
Parishes and schools taking part in the year-long collection effort included: St. Francis of Assisi in Lenoir, St. Margaret of Scotland in Maggie Valley, Holy Trinity in Taylorsville, St. Charles Borromeo in Morganton, St. Margaret Mary in Swannanoa, Asheville Catholic School, St. John the Evangelist in Waynesville, St. Aloysius in Hickory, St. Mary Mother of God in Sylva, St. Peter in Charlotte, Sacred Heart in Brevard, St. Joan of Arc in Candler, St. Andrew the Apostle in Mars Hill, Sacred Heart in Burnsville, St. Jude in Sapphire Valley, Our Lady of the Mountains in Highlands, Our Lady of Consolation in Charlotte, St. Barnabas in Arden, Queen of the Apostles in Belmont, St. Joseph in Newton and the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Charlotte.
— Annie Ferguson
How you can help
If your parish or school would like to host a diaper drive to help stock Catholic Charities’ Wee Care Ministry shelves, email Catholic Charities at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Individual donations of diapers and baby wipes are also welcome. Go to www.ccdoc.org/contact-us to schedule a donation drop-off. For financial donations, go to www.ccdoc.org/donate.