Diaper Bank merges into CCO as founder retires

Diaper Bank of the Ozarks founder Jill Bright has handed the reins of her organization to Council of Churches of the Ozarks Inc.

The nonprofits late last week jointly announced Diaper Bank has merged into CCO. A video of the announcement was posted to CCO's YouTube channel.

"Today, my retirement becomes official," Bright said at the event. "I'm handing over the torch, and I do not know a better family to take over the raising of the child that I birthed 10 years ago."

The 2012-founded Diaper Bank of the Ozarks has distributed roughly 6.5 million diapers to families with unstable incomes in southwest Missouri, according to the nonprofit's website. Bright founded the nonprofit, in part, to assist with a gap in government assistance, as diapers are not covered like food, according to past reporting.

The Diaper Bank has an existing distribution relationship with CCO through its Crosslines program, according to nonprofit officials.

"A best- kept secret of the council has been how closely we have worked with DBO since its beginning," CCO CEO Jaimie Trussell said in an announcement in CCO’s newsletter. "We are excited to make the full range of the council’s resources available to keep babies healthy and happy for years to come."

Like CCO's other services, the Diaper Bank will be housed in a former SRC Holdings Corp. building at 3055 E. Division St. Renovation work is underway as CCO consolidates its programs into the building, according to past reporting.