Meet This Mom: Sherry Taylor now donates to a service that supported her as a single parent

Because of the work I do with mothers in the workplace, I was recently invited to attend a fundraising dinner for Diaper Train, a local nonprofit and the only diaper bank exclusively serving Wake County families. They distributed more than half a million diapers last year alone and served 800 diaper insecure kids.

The work they do is incredible, and I was fortunate to meet a mother of two who, once upon a time, benefited from Diaper Train’s distribution service. It’s with her permission that I get to share her story in this month’s mom profile. Please meet Sherry Taylor.

Taylor, a resident of Raleigh, became a single mother in 2013 to a beautiful baby girl. Due to life’s circumstances, she hadn’t yet landed a full-time, post-college job, and money was tight. Her specific situation could have happened to anyone.

“In 2013, the federal government shut down. I had a new baby and just graduated college. I wanted to work, but couldn’t just yet and, unfortunately, my WIC benefits were up for renewal at the same time,” Taylor remembers.

“I relied on WIC to purchase specialty formula since my baby was allergic to other options. Because of my personal situation combined with the government’s status, I couldn’t use WIC my benefits … and I couldn’t re-qualify for them either.”

During the 16-day shut down, Taylor searched high and low for formula to feed her child while she paid out-of-pocket for other essentials not covered by WIC, like diapers and wipes. Finally, she reached out to a social media group for help, and, thanks to the kindness of a stranger, Taylor was directed to Diaper Train. It was there that she found exactly what she needed.

“They gave me diapers and formula we needed,” said Taylor. “Receiving help like this is really humbling, but it gave me the ability to pay for other things out-of-pocket while the government got things sorted out.”

“Sherry’s story is representative of so many others,” says Katie Landi, executive director for Diaper Train. “Families we work with are often in crisis, and what we know is that supplying them with clean diapers can be life-changing – and Sherry experienced that firsthand.”

Taylor’s Diaper Train experience ended a few weeks later when she was able to re-qualify and resume WIC benefits.

Today, she sustains her family on her own with her full-time role as a disability analyst for the state of North Carolina. After eight years of employment there, she feels confident in the future she’s helping create for her children.

“As a single mom, it helps me to stay organized and plan out the month in advance so I know when the practices are, what meals we’re eating and what’s scheduled on the school calendar," she said.

Last year, Sherry added an event to her calendar: the Diaper Train fundraiser. She’s now a donor to a service that served her well.

“I want to be able to help the next person in their time of need just like they helped me. That’s what life is about,” says Taylor. “I try to give back to Diaper Train because of what it meant to me. It feels good knowing that you’re blessing others who are working parents doing the best they can.”

To learn more about Diaper Train, volunteer, donate or get involved in other ways, visit the group’s website at https://diapertrain.org.

Stephanie Llorente is a mother of two children and a regular WRAL Family contributor. She is the owner of Prep Communications and Restored, a faith-based community for working moms.