Can you tell us about why you wanted to volunteer with Cloth Nappy Library Ireland…
I borrowed a nappy loan kit from the Cloth Nappy Library when my first baby was a few months old, and found it so valuable to try out cloth nappies and see if they worked for our family before investing in our own stash. The volunteer who loaned me the kit was so friendly and gave me great tips and advice. When we returned the loan, I filled in the feedback survey and said I was interested in volunteering. I was eager to help other parents have access to cloth nappy loans and the information they need about cloth nappies! There is so much information out there, it can seem overwhelming as a first time cloth nappy user, so it is important to have someone or somewhere you can go for advice. I had enjoyed learning all I could about cloth nappies, and I was excited to share that with other parents too!
Can you tell us what your volunteer role involves?
I manage several of our newborn postal loans. Ciara lets me know when a loan needs posting out – I add the address labels and bring it to the post office! When the loan is returned to my house, I unpack it, wash it thoroughly and repack it ready for the next borrower. I have an inventory of each kit, and I let the library know if anything needs replacing. It doesn’t take long – I am doing my own cloth nappy laundry anyway so I don’t really notice one extra load every so often!
I recently joined the Working Group for the Cloth Nappy Library, and am enjoying learning more about how the library works and getting to know the other volunteers who keep everything running smoothly!
I have hosted a few Zoom workshops – I arrange a time that works for me and I log on to the CNLI Zoom at home, chat to parents about cloth nappies and answer any questions they may have! I also volunteered at the Pregnancy and Baby Fair in the RDS where I got to talk to lots of parents who might not have heard of cloth nappies before!
Have you found the experience rewarding/ what is your favourite thing about volunteering?
Parents are so aware of options they have with regards to many aspects of baby care, but a lot of parents are not aware that there are other options to disposable nappies! It’s empowering to help educate parents that there are other options that are open to them. I love answering people’s questions and helping them feel more confident in trying or using cloth. I find it meaningful that by volunteering I am not only helping other parents, but also helping the environment! Every loan kit has 25-30 nappies – so if a parent tries each nappy in the kit even twice (and many try them much more), then that’s about 60 disposable nappies I have helped save from going into landfill for hundreds of years – it’s a meaningful difference! It is great to chat to other parents who use cloth and hear about their experiences – there’s such a big community of cloth nappy families out there that I didn’t know about before I started!
What would you say to someone thinking of volunteering, any advice or insights you’d share?
If cloth nappies are something you are passionate about – please consider volunteering! As parents, we haven’t got endless extra time, but you can provide meaningful help with whatever little amount of time you can give! A service like the Cloth Nappy Library is dependent on us to keep running, so by volunteering you are helping so many parents continue to have access to this great service, support and advice!
