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02/24/2016 07:30 AMWhen Elizabeth Serra- Loud started volunteering at Clinton’s food pantry on Wednesday nights, one of the first things that struck her were the long lines—in the scorching heat, the pouring rain, and the bitter cold.
“People were standing outside, sometimes 60 or 70 families, no matter what the temperature. Many of them didn’t have enough gas to run their cars and stay warm.”
The food pantry has since moved to a new site, First Church of Christ Congregational, which can accommodate a larger crowd and provide shelter from the elements. Still, Beth also noticed over the years that the lines were growing, to as many as 90 to 100 families, and that their needs weren’t limited to food.
“Last year I was serving pizza with my family and friends in Clinton, as part of the Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Food Pantries,” Beth recalls.
Her family and close friends—a group of 10 who rotate—sponsor monthly pizza nights that draw about 150 people; they make a night of it, organizing crafts, putting on Halloween parties and Easter egg hunts, and even—with the help of a snow machine—making snowballs in the summer.
“I like to get to know the families in town and watch them grow,” says Beth. “One time, I was approached by a client and asked if I knew where to get diapers. This triggered me to investigate the situation.”
Beth knew what many people don’t: that toiletries and diapers are not covered by social safety net programs such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) or Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The only federal assistance program that does cover diapers must also be used for other expenses, including rent, utilities, clothing, and transportation. For a single parent with two children in Connecticut, the maximum monthly benefit is $698, says Beth, and according to the National Diaper Bank Network, the cost of diapers accounts for about 11 percent of that benefit.
“As a nurse, I also realized the health consequences of not having an adequate supply of diapers,” she says.
What Beth didn’t know—but soon found out—was that there isn’t a single diaper bank between New Haven and New London.
“No child should ever have to go without a clean diaper. Churches will occasionally coordinate diaper drives, which helps, but there was no consistent flow of supplies. This is how we came to the decision to start a nonprofit organization. My friends Mary Jo Walker (treasurer), Liz Early (secretary), and Tina Bascom (vice president) were eager to support the initiative, and so we became Bare Necessities, Inc.”
Beth is president and founder.
Bare Necessities formed as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on Nov. 20, 2015—just over three months ago—for the purpose of distributing diapers, baby wipes, and other essentials to families in need along the Connecticut shoreline. It made its first distribution of supplies at the Clinton food pantry on Dec. 9, 2015, and has been back every Wednesday.
“There are currently 20 infants and toddlers among the families we serve at Clinton’s food pantry,” says Beth, “and our initial focus is diapers. Childcare is one of the most challenging parts for the working poor and those living in poverty. Many childcare facilities won’t accept a child without enough diapers for the day. Bare Necessities is working to help families mitigate that obstacle.”
Beth grew up in the suburbs of Boston—in Arlington, Massachusetts—born into a family of educators and healthcare providers. Her mother was a 1st grade teacher, her father taught history and government at the middle school level, and her introduction to community service came early.
“My father had rheumatic fever as a child and subsequently developed rheumatic heart disease. When I was two years old, he had a heart attack. Because of this, my family learned how to embrace life and spend time together,” she says.
“My maternal grandfather was a director of special needs for the Summerville school system and one of the members of a committee that made the special needs laws for the country. He and my grandmother, a nurse, founded a summer camp for children with special needs. The camp had children with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as children with medical conditions such as severe asthma, diabetes, cancer, seizures, autism, and other disorders,” she says. “The camp would also accept siblings of these children, so that the parents could have a respite.
“Many of them were from the inner cities, and the camp also received children in need of emergency foster care. My family spent our summers helping at the camp. These experiences led me to working in a group home for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities—and eventually to becoming a nurse.”
Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Massachusetts and her registered nurse credentials from New England Baptist School of Nursing. She took a job as an R.N. at Boston University Medical Center before moving to Connecticut, where she worked as a nurse in a pediatric office, at the Shoreline Foundation’s Deer Lake Day Camp, and at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Newington and West Haven.
She and her spouse, Pamela Cyrus—an M.D. who works for Bayer Pharmaceuticals—moved to Madison 20 years ago, then to Clinton in 2011. They have been together for more than 23 years and have a 27-year-old son, John, whose interests—like his parents’—center on psychology, medicine, and service.
“John has a degree in psychology, plus a master’s in criminal justice. He works as an EMT and is applying for positions in law enforcement,” she says.
Beth said that in raising John, she and Pamela felt it was important for him to understand that not everyone enjoyed the same comfort and privileges, that people struggled, and that it was important to get involved and help.
“At the summer camp my grandparents operated for children with special needs, we did Christmas in July. When I was young, I thought it was absolutely magical to see the sleigh full of presents with Santa arriving in a police car and the meeting hall being covered with Christmas murals and the chef making wonderful food. It was just as special as Christmas in December at our home. As I got older, I realized we did Christmas in July because many of the children with serious health issues might not live until Christmas,” she recalls. “Then Christmas in July took on a whole new meaning for me.”
Though Bare Necessities takes up the majority of her energy, Beth also makes time for her family, her friends, the family’s rescue German shepherd, and herself.
“I’m an avid runner. With the Lymphoma & Leukemia Society’s Team In Training program, I ran half-marathons in Hartford and at Disney World. I also ran a half-marathon for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.”
If your child has outgrown his Huggies or reached that long-awaited milestone—potty-trained!—Bare Necessities will gladly accept any diapers you no longer need .
“Opened packages are fine,” says Beth.
The group also accepts monetary donations as well as contributions of other toiletries, including baby wipes, toilet paper, soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and dental floss.
“We’re excited to be hosting a high tea to benefit Bare Necessities next month at Savvy Tea in Madison,” says Beth.
The fundraiser will take place on Saturday, March 12, from 2 to 3:30 p.m., and a portion of the ticket purchase price is tax-deductible.
Bare Necessities regularly holds diaper drives, and several local businesses serve as drop-off locations. The Clinton Bootery, 203 East Main Street, accepts donations Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Other drop-off locations include Synergy Health and Fitness and Sachem Card and Party Shop in Guilford and Connecticut Pharmacy, Hair We Are, and MJW EA and Company in Madison.
For a full list of collection locations and upcoming events, including the High Tea fundraiser, call 203-928-7558, email bare.necessities.ct@gmail.com, or check out their Facebook page.