Sweet Cheeks Diaper Ministry: One Mom’s Story, Thousands Helped

(May 8, 2025) Cori Smith didn’t set out to start a nonprofit.

She just needed diapers. In 2014, pregnant and severely ill with hyperemesis gravidarum, Smith was recovering from two unexpected layoffs and struggling to make ends meet. Friends encouraged her to apply for WIC, but like so many parents, she quickly learned that WIC and SNAP don’t cover diapers. Holding her newborn, facing a gap in support for one of her baby’s most basic needs, Smith began to ask: How many other families are in the same boat?

Turns out, one in three Mid-South families struggles to afford diapers.

Smith started small, collecting extras from friends on Facebook. Then came a drive. Then a full-fledged diaper bank. Today, Sweet Cheeks Diaper Ministry is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the Mid-South’s leading diaper bank. It has distributed over one million diapers to more than 10,000 families across Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi. It’s one of only two full-service basic needs banks in the state.

The need remains urgent. In Memphis, where nearly 45 percent of children live in poverty, diapers cost more than $150 a month per child. Most childcare centers require parents to bring their own supply and without diapers, many parents can’t go to work or school. Federal programs don’t help. That’s where Sweet Cheeks steps in.

Families can visit monthly distribution events to receive diapers, wipes, formula, and other essentials. The organization also partners with local service providers and helps fill Medicaid gaps for older adults in need of incontinence supplies.

The work is deeply personal and not without challenges. “As a Black woman running a nonprofit, I get questions other people don’t,” Smith said. “People ask if I’m legit, if I’m using the money right. But our finances are public. Our impact speaks for itself.”

Without a paid staff, grant writer, or accounting department, Sweet Cheeks runs on volunteers, donations, and determination. Smith wraps diapers, coordinates deliveries, and keeps the lights on, while dreaming of someday hiring part-time help to meet the growing demand.

“People think the need ended after COVID,” she said. “But the truth is, it never went away.”

Supporting Sweet Cheeks means helping families meet their babies’ most basic needs. It means giving caregivers a chance to work, study, and breathe a little easier. And it means affirming that dignity starts with the essentials.

By donating to Sweet Cheeks Diaper Ministry, you can help build a healthier, more equitable Mid-South—one diaper at a time.