This month, a Bendigo not-for-profit is asking for families to donate their spare nappies, to be passed on to parents and babies in crisis.

Sunshine Bendigo is a local drop-off point for the Nappy Collective’s annual nappy drive, which runs May 4 to 18.

The Nappy Collective will distribute the donated nappies to organisations that support families in need.

For Sunshine Bendigo’s Glenda Serpell, the initiative was a perfect fit for the organisation.

Sunshine Bendigo collects baby goods, from car seats to toys, and gives them to parents in need.

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Mrs Serpell said the level of need locally was surprising.

“I guess we don’t really know until we start to scratch the surface,” she said.

But happily, Mrs Serpell said that when the demand arose, the need was able to be met.

Nappies donated to the Nappy Collective do not need to be in unopened packets, just unused.

“Our beneficiary organisations are always critically desperate for nappies, an item that does not receive government support,” Nappy Collective chief executive officer Lani Masuku said.

Most of the nappies will go to women who have experienced family violence and have had to flee to a shelter with little to no belongings or resources.

Sunshine Bendigo is open for nappy donations on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, from 10am to 3pm, in Daly Street, Long Gully (behind the church).