Aetna collaborates with local organizations to improve child health

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- Aetna Better Health of Missouri collaborated with a local organization to improve child health across Northwest Missouri.

Aetna donated $30,000 to Northwest Missouri United Labor Community Services Agency and Community Action Partnership of Greater St. Joseph. The donation was divided equally, with each organization receiving $15,000.

The funding will be used for the AFL-CIO's Diaper Depot program. The program provides diapers, pull-ups, potty training kits and ointment to families with young children. Families are able to receive diapers from the program up until the child's fourth birthday.

The program serves 18 counties in Missouri and Kansas.

Nichi Seckinger, executive director of AFL-CIO Community Services Agency, said the donation allowed the program to provide items to parents and help children have better health.

"The donation allowed us to move up a tier in the partnership with Happy Bottoms, and it allowed us to serve more children," she said. "But it also helps provide those hygiene supplies because that is not part of the Happy Bottoms agreement."

Seckinger said the organization was surprised to receive the donation from Aetna.

"Having something like this come up really will allow us to keep moving this program forward and keep growing the program, because we know that there are more individuals than just the ones that we serve that need it," Seckinger said. "Anything we can do to grow it and expand it, we're thrilled to death to be able to do that...They really are helping us make that possible,"

Brandy Kroeger has been using the diaper depot for five years.

Kroeger said the program helped her because diapers are very expensive, especially since her children are one and under.

"There were three in diapers at the same time, very small children, and it was very hard to keep up. So it helped out a lot," Kroger said. "But it still really, really helped us budget for food and other things that we also need in our family."

Kroger said it's great that AFL-CIO got the donation from Aetna.

"I think there's a lot of families who could really benefit from this program that are struggling. But yeah, really, and there's probably a lot of families that don't even know about program that could use that," she said.

Kroger said the program is great because it helps families who are struggling to make ends meet.

"There are families that like, literally, can't afford diapers or food. And so it provides that for them without them having to find a way that isn't good for their family," she said.

Seckinger said the donation will help the program purchase items through next August.