Our Story
Gentle Love Diaper Pantry was founded in June of 2020 by Kyle Zingler, then a sophomore at Manchester High School, with the support of his classmates Alexandra Hamza, Jabari Murphy, and his sister Julia Zingler and her close friend, Sylvia Squatrito.
One day in early April 2020, Kyle’s mother, who works for Vernon Public Schools, expressed her struggles connecting a mother in a domestic violence incident with diapers. Kyle was motivated to solve this injustice after learning that there were no diaper or baby supply pantries accessible to families in his community. Diapers had also been hard to come by due to material shortages and disruptions within the supply chain. Additionally, federal assistance programs like SNAP and WIC do not cover or defray the cost of diapers which amount to significant expense for families, costing on average $70-80 a month per a child.
He held his first diaper drive on June 11, 2020 which collected over 17,000 diapers and since then the initiative has grown into a full scale, youthled nonprofit with diapers being distributed through seven community partners . Over 207,000 diapers have been distributed to marginalized, low income families. However, our work is only beginning.
Youth Board Directors
Kyle Zingler
Kyle (Ex-Officio, Founder and Chief Operating Officer) is a sophomore at Fordham University and a graduate of Manchester High School. At Fordham, he has consistently made the Dean's List, serves as the Treasurer of the College Democrats, competes on the Model United Nations team and plays with the Pep Band. Prior to COVID, he also participated in year-round productions with CAST Children's Theatre and obtained the rank of Eagle Scout with Troop 27. His Eagle project involved reorganizing CAST's workshop space and constructing a triangular loft. Kyle strives to give back wherever possible and is driven to resolve the injustices he witnesses affecting others, whether that be in his hometown of Manchester or in the Bronx.
Sylvia Squarito
Sylvia (Secretary and Vice Chair) is a freshman at Johnson and Wales University pursuing a bachelor's degree in baking and culinary arts.
She is a recent graduate of Manchester High School, where she served as the chair of the Social Interactions and Community Outreach committee of the Student Equity Advisory Team and was an active member of the FA Verplanck Chapter of the National Honor Society. Outside of MHS, she was a commissioner on the Manchester Youth Commission, which gives youth a voice in municipal government. Sylvia is happy and eager to further the organization's endeavors.
Janze
Richardson
Janze Richardson (Director at Large) is a senior at Manchester High School, where she is engaged in a variety of clubs and organizations, including the FA Verplanck Chapter of the National Honor Society, Link Crew, Chamber Orchestra and Modern Band. This year she will also be Captain of the Drill Team. Outside of school, she is the chair of the National Honor Society and an after-school counselor at MELC. She eloquently highlights her role in the local community, saying, "I try to put forth my best effort in everything I do, and speak up and out about what I see so I can be a voice for those that don't have one,"
Julia Zingler
Julia (Chair) is a freshman at Boston Conservatory at Berklee pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Contemporary Dance. She graduated from Manchester High School and Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts in June 2023. Julia loves to dance and was involved with Northstar Dance Academy for thirteen years, taking classes of all genres and serving as a member of the dance competition team and a teaching assistant. Additionally, she participated in CAST Children’s Theatre productions for six years. Julia loves to help others and is excited to be a part of this organization.