Greater D.C. Diaper Bank, one of the largest nonprofit diaper banks in the country, is suing its former landlord.

Liz Schurgin, the diaper bank’s executive director, said the organization asked more than a dozen times since 2023 for roof repairs due to leaks at the warehouse it leased for more than 10 years at 8846 Monard Drive in Silver Spring, Maryland.

“They either ignored our requests or slapped on temporary fixes,” she said. 

According to the lawsuit, “These ongoing and worsening roof leaks slowed, and at times, halted the entire distribution operations of one of The Diaper Bank’s core programs.”

Schurgin said many essential services had to be shut down because of the leaks. “This is the program that distributes formula and diaper cream and other essentials that families really rely on,” she told WTOP. 

The lawsuit also details financial loses claimed by the diaper bank because of alleged poor conditions at the warehouse.

“Deprived of sufficient warehouse space to safely store inventory for the long term, The Diaper Bank was forced to at once liquidate more than $125,000 worth of inventory that was originally earmarked for distribution in months ahead,” court documents state.

In addition, the Greater D.C. Diaper Bank said it lost more than $600,000 in donor contributions that would have otherwise been distributed to families in need because of poor conditions. 

Overall, the diaper bank is seeking $775,000 in damages.

According to the Montgomery Banner, landlord WWDC Industrial Park filed a counterclaim alleging failure to pay rent and breach of contract and requesting that the lawsuit be thrown out. The warehouse owner said the lease specifies that the facility was for storing and distributing diapers, and that the diaper bank was using the warehouse for other purposes.

The bank distributes about 9.5 million diapers a year to more than 40,000 families across the D.C. area.

Source