By: Daniel Graziose ’27 and Cristian Xikis ’27
In February, Chaminade High School made a significant impact on the lives of many families, particularly new mothers in need. This year marked Chaminade’s first Baby Diaper Drive, a new initiative that helps local mothers struggling through the early stages of child care by providing a sense of comfort and security. When asked about his role in this year’s Baby Diaper Drive, John Durham ’26 stated, “I am the attendance officer for Catholics for Life.” He also explained how he assisted in the project: “As an officer, I helped organize and promote this drive, along with collecting the diapers from the various homerooms.”
Rooted in the Catholic belief in the dignity of all human life from conception to natural death, this initiative embodied Chaminade’s mission of service. The Baby Diaper Drive, sponsored by Catholics for Life and the Emmaus Apostolic Volunteering Groups, was created to help students find ways to make small but lasting and impactful contributions to the lives of many. Mr. Daniel Haslbauer ’11 reflected on the surprisingly extensive student engagement: “Since this was a new initiative, students were really curious about the drive, and I saw it especially with having a Junior Homeroom. I answered tons of really great questions. It was inspiring to see such strong support from an all-boys school for a cause dedicated to helping women.”
With a strong first year and overwhelming support, the Baby Diaper Drive has the potential to grow into an even more impactful annual tradition. Students didn’t just donate; they gained valuable life lessons in compassion and service. When asked about the most significant takeaways from this experience, Mr. Haslbauer stated, “As a high school student, I never truly realized the impact of small service and how great the outcome would be. Now, as a father, along with being a teacher, I see the true importance of doing small acts of service, no matter the circumstance.” After all the diapers were collected and the drive concluded on Monday, February 10th, members of Catholics for Life gathered together, sorting and counting an astonishing 37,000 diapers for two major charities in the Bronx and Long Island. These vital charities have been pivotal in assisting thousands, and Chaminade was glad to provide its support.
On Tuesday, February 11th, the culminating day of the drive, members from Catholics for Life and Emmaus Volunteers loaded the collected diapers onto buses, filling both buses to capacity. One bus traveled to the Bronx to donate half of the collected diapers to the Sisters of Life’s “Mommy Storeroom,” while the other half went to Catholic Charities of Long Island in Merrick. Looking ahead, the future of Chaminade’s diaper drive remains a topic of interest. Emmaus Co-Moderator Mr. Haslbauer discussed the future of the drive, noting the impressive 98% homeroom participation: “I believe we can get every homeroom fully involved in the future. We can also strengthen our support for those in need by expanding our reach and donating to more organizations in the community.”
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