September 20, 2022 / 6:17 PM / CBS New York

HUNTINGTON STATION, N.Y. -- It has been a tough summer for parents of young children. They had to wait for a COVID-19 vaccine and there was a formula shortage . Now, the price of necessities, including diapers, is on a sharp rise.

As CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reported Tuesday, diaper banks and volunteers are trying to help struggling moms and dads.

The line stretched around the block outside the Huntington Assembly of God. Inside, there were smiles and tears from Melissa Graves, a school teacher from Guatemala who recently relocated to the area.

"It has been very difficult with the economy, her husband's job," Graves said through an interpreter. "Prices keep going up and this has been a tremendous help. What babies need most is diapers, right?"

READ MORE: Rutgers study draws connection between lack of access to diapers and behavior problems in children

Clean dry diapers are critical for ensuring good health and to prevent illness and infection. Disposable diapers can cost up to $80 per month per child, and with inflation, prices are even higher.

"To get the diapers, it's a life saver," Courtney Muller said.

Muller, of Greenlawn, was with her 4-week-old, running on empty, and feeling overwhelmed.

"She's a newborn and I'm not working right now," Muller said.

Food pantries and government assistance can help with groceries, but diapers are not covered under federal and state programs.

"It's a national public health crisis," said Heather Edwards, of the allied foundation National Diaper Bank Network. "Currently, SNAP and WIC benefits and Medicaid do not cover diapers, so families have few options."

"It's a bless for everybody to see the people from the community that share," Huntington mother Fiorde Santos said.

All of the diapers, formula and baby clothes at the Huntington Assembly of God were donated by a tradition of devoted volunteers, sharing joys and struggles.

"My parents started Helping Hands Rescue Mission in 1965. Both have passed away now," Kim Gambino said.

Gambino has taken up the cause and her community has responded.

"So we are carrying that on. The way they started is the way we want to finish, with lots of love," Gambino said.

The mothers in attendance with their babes said they feel that love, dignity and respect.

A study out of Yale University found struggling to afford diapers contributes to higher rates of maternal stress and depression.

During her decades-long career, Jennifer McLogan has been recognized for her coverage of breaking news and live reporting on major stories that include the September 11 attacks, Superstorm Sandy, the Gilgo Beach Murders, the Long Island Rail Road massacre, the crash of TWA Flight 800, the Philadelphia Police firebombing of the radical group Move, the Hamptons' Pine Barrens fires, and major snowstorms crippling the Northeast. In sports, she covered Super Bowl XLVI, World Series with both the Yankees and the Mets, NBA Finals with Michael Jordan and the death of Arthur Ashe.

First published on September 20, 2022 / 6:17 PM

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©2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.