(WSB photos)

As June wraps up, we’re looking into July, which is always packed wall-to-wall with good things in West Seattle. Among them: WestSide Baby‘s annual Stuff The Bus diaper drive. This morning, WS Baby’s executive director Nancy Woodland put the “drive” in “diaper drive” by bringing THE official bus into the lot at HomeStreet Bank (WSB sponsor) in The Junction to celebrate HomeStreet’s $5,000 donation to jump-start this year’s drive. With Woodland below is HomeStreet’s West Seattle vice president and branch manager Melodie Van Houten. HomeStreet also is a presenting sponsor of Stuff the Bus.

While July 24th is the big day to bring boxes and bags of diapers to the bus in HomeStreet’s lot at 41st and Alaska, the entire month is full of more than 50 diaper drives held by local businesses and individuals, to help stock up WS Baby with more than 300,000 diapers. One way you can donate early in the month: Bring diapers to the West Seattle 4th of July Kids’ Parade in Admiral next Monday (10 am, starting at 44th/Sunset, winding through neighborhoods to Hamilton Viewpoint Park). Also look for ongoing drives (we know there’s one year-round at WSB sponsor C & P Coffee Company, 5612 California SW).

WS Baby points out that:

There are more than 10,000 children under the age of three living in poverty in King County. These children will need 22 million diapers per year. Unfortunately, many families are forced to choose between buying diapers and paying bills, as diapers are not covered by any government aid programs, including food stamps.

Last year alone, WestSide Baby helped more than 31,000 local children, while partnering with more than 120 established social service agencies. Meantime, look for the bus around town in July, including its always-festive appearance in the West Seattle Grand Parade (11 am Saturday, July 23rd, down California SW from Lander to Edmunds).