The Social Concerns Committee at Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology spearheaded a Diaper Drive recently to help mothers in need. The committee’s goal is to serve the seminary community in integrating its response to social justice concerns. It is composed of representatives of the faculty and student body.
Deacon Kevin Bertleff, a fifth-year student at Saint Mary Seminary from the Diocese of Youngstown, said the committee was inspired to launch the drive after learning about a similar effort in Washington, D.C. The idea was discussed with Father Joe Koopman, who oversees the Social Concerns Committee, and the group decided to move forward with the drive during October and November 2023.
(See photo gallery above.)
“We felt it was fitting to begin the drive in October before the election on Issue 1 in Ohio (a constitutional amendment that was approved in November 2023 and enshrined abortion rights in the Ohio constitution) and because October is Respect Life Month,” Deacon Bertleff explained.
Seminarians, their families, seminary faculty and staff and parishioners in both the Cleveland and Youngstown dioceses donated diapers and made other contributions to the drive. Deacon Bertleff said many seminarians encouraged those in their home or assigned parishes to support the effort.
While the focus was on donations of diapers in all sizes, some baby wipes and knitted baby accessories were received. There also were some cash donations, which were used to purchase additional diapers.
When the drive ended and diapers were prepared for distribution in early December 2023, Deacon Bertleff said the final tally of donations was 36,814 diapers. A few more donations trickled in after that, he said.
About 10 seminarians helped to organize the diapers by size and then reorganized the donations prior to delivery. A group of seminarians volunteered to deliver the donations to a dozen locations in both the Cleveland and Youngstown dioceses, depending upon the needs of the entity. The initiative concluded prior to the seminary’s Christmas break.
In the Youngstown Diocese, Catholic Charities in Ravenna, Bella Women’s Center in Warren and Maya Women’s Center in Ashtabula received donations.
The following organizations in the Cleveland Diocese received donations: Zoe House in Parma; Womankind, Inc. in Garfield Heights; Father Michael Wittman Ozanam Center in East Cleveland; Migration and Refugee Services in Cleveland; Zelle’s Home in Garfield Heights’ John Hilkert Ozanam Center (St. Vincent de Paul) in Akron; Holy Spirit Parish in Lorain (Caring for Women in Elyria and Birthright of Elyria); Hitchcock Center for Women in Cleveland and West Side Catholic Center in Cleveland.
The Social Concerns Committee reported that nearly each organization that received donations was overwhelmed by the generosity and the effort. They also received some phone calls and thank-you notes.
“The generosity of the people of God in both the Diocese of Cleveland and the Diocese of Youngstown never ceases to amaze me,” said Deacon Bertleff. “Their donations to our Diaper Drive and support of the beautiful gift of life reveal how deeply the Church embodies the generosity of the Holy Spirit. We seminarians are truly humbled by and grateful for everyone who supported the drive.”
Although he is scheduled for priestly ordination in his home diocese of Youngstown in June, Deacon Bertleff said he anticipates the Social Concerns Committee and the seminary community likely will continue the Diaper Drive.
In the past, the Social Concerns Committee has undertaken annual initiatives including clothing drives to benefit those at local shelters and those who use outreach programs who are in need of clothing.