MILWAUKEE — Mariah Riddlesprigger has never taken her life for granted.
"To have the Bucks, to have NUNA to support us and give back, and for that to be so important to other people besides us, to have that community around us is really important," says Mariah.
"We're blessed to be able to afford basic needs, right. We're blessed to be able to afford food, to have food on our table, to have a house and roof over our head," says Mariah, owner of 'Sincerely, Mariah' clothing.
But it wasn't until she became a mom to Liam and Maverick Antetokounmpo that she realized there was a problem she could help fix.
"I have my days, like any other mom. Being completely real, it's tough, but it's a blessing right because who wouldn't want to have two healthy boys," says Mariah. "But just realizing how expensive diapers are, especially with the second one. I was just like oh wow, something needs to be done."
It's the same problem Meagan Johnson, founder of Milwaukee Diaper Mission, discovered last year.
"Most major cities around the country have a basic needs bank or a diaper bank, and Milwaukee did not. I knew it needed to exist," says Meagan.
As a mother herself, Meagan knew the impact of not having diapers extend beyond their immediate need.
"Families that don't have enough diapers to send their child to childcare, then can not go to work, and if they can't go to work then they can't afford the diapers. So it's this vicious cycle that families are going through," says Meagan.
Milwaukee Diaper Mission has given out more than 173,000 disposable diapers and nearly 2,000 cloth diapers. It's an effort that grabbed the attention of both Mariah and her NBA superstar partner, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
"We grew up without having a lot of stuff. Without having diapers or having the same diaper for the whole day or two days," says Giannis.
"I could buy two packs of diapers, where some people I know can't even buy or know how they are going to get diapers for the next day," says Mariah.
This is why Milwaukee Diaper Mission, Mariah, and the Bucks are teaming up.
"What can we do that's different that still celebrates the birth of our second child?" says Mariah.
The answer: a diaper drive at Fiserv Forum on Nov. 17, 19, and 20, or better known as "Maverick's Diaper Mission."
"We did a little math and if 5 percent of ticket holders on a game night bring a pack of diapers, that could equal approximately 75,000 diapers," says Meagan.
"This is just the beginning, the beginning of something special," says Giannis.
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