Stop & Shop to Donate 100,000 Diapers to Diaper Banks

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Stop & Shop has announced a donation of 100,000 diapers to diaper banks across its five-state footprint in honor of National Diaper Need Awareness Week.

Taking place from Sept. 24 to Oct. 2, National Diaper Need Awareness Week is designed to call attention to the issue of not having a sufficient supply of diapers to keep babies and toddlers clean, dry and healthy. The recipient diaper banks will each receive 20,000 Nature’s Promise® diapers ranging in sizes from 1 through 6 to help families in need. The recipient diaper banks include:

• The Diaper Bank of Connecticut in North Haven, Connecticut
• Baby Basics, Inc. in Needham, Massachusetts
• Project Undercover in Warwick, Rhode Island
• 914CARES in White Plains, New York
• Children’s Aid and Family Services, Inc. in Paramus, New Jersey

Diapers are among the most highly sought-after items at food banks and food pantries, as 1 in 3 families struggle with diaper need according to the Diaper Bank Network. The number of people facing diaper need has increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing inflation.

"Many families continue to struggle due to the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation, and we know that when families face difficulty providing diapers for their children it can impact their physical and mental well-being," said Jennifer Barr, Director of External Communications and Community Relations for Stop & Shop. "Stop & Shop is proud to step up to help with these diaper donations, which we hope will provide relief for many families in need."

In addition to diapers, Stop & Shop will also donate $5,000 to The Diaper Bank of Connecticut in North Haven, CT. As the leading diaper bank in the nation, The Diaper Bank of Connecticut has donated more than 31 million free diapers to low-income families through its extensive 60+ agency network since its founding in 2004.

The additional donation to The Diaper Bank of Connecticut will support in its mission to provide free infant and toddler diapers, period products, and youth and adult incontinence supplies to low-income families across Connecticut.

To learn more, visit stopandshop.com/pages/community.

DiLego Jewelry to Close After Nearly 100 Years in Business

By Daniel MatziBerkshires correspondent
05:28AM / Tuesday, May 07, 2024

Sisters Pamela Costine, left, and Cynthia Lamore have been operating the store since their aunts retired in 1987. Both started working in the business as teens.  Lamore's decided it's time to retire. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — DiLego Jewelery Store, the family-owned business that has been a staple of North Adams for nearly a century, will be closing this summer. 

 

The closure was announced on the store's Facebook page late Sunday night, where it immediately drew comments of remembrance and well-wishing.

 

Cindy Lamore, whose great uncle Frank DiLego opened the store on Main Street in the late 1930s, said the shop will cease operations following her retirement, slated for June 30. A 20 percent off Mother's Day sale will begin immediately, with increasing discounts leading up to the closing date.

 

It took Lamore "a couple of years" to reach the decision to close. Witnessing the passing of lifelong friends or their struggles with debilitating illness prompted her to reconsider her priorities, especially considering the extensive time devoted to running a small business. 

 

"You really question what you're waiting for," she reflected.

 

While recognizing that changing consumer habits have led to a decrease in jewelry and watch sales in recent years, Lamore stressed that her decision to close was a personal one. She and her business partner and sister, Pamela Costine, wanted "to do it on our terms," she said.

 

Comments on Facebook praised the store's customer service, and friends, family, and customers alike reminisced about buying jewelry for special occasions, stopping in for watch repairs, and the perennial rite of childhood for many: getting ears pierced.