Cranberry Township business offers some relief for parents during baby formula shortage

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Some relief is on the way for parents in desperate need of baby formula. While more and more shipments of formula start to arrive from overseas, a store in Cranberry Township is stepping up to help people in urgent need.

“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. It feels like my whole life has led to this experience,” said Dustin Dietrich.

Dustin Dietrich is excited to be a first-time dad. His son Logan was born two weeks ago on Mother’s Day. But he says it’s been really tough getting baby formula.

“We got everyone across both families looking for it wherever they can. It’s like a scavenger hunt,” said Dietrich.

That’s why he was at Once Upon a Child in Cranberry Township. The store started a formula drive for families in need two days ago. They’ve already received dozens of donations of different kinds of formula.

“Actually 24 hours later we received our first donation. It was huge. We didn’t expect it to be that fast and then another one came in after that and [they] had seen the story on your channel and brought in the donation,” said Cassie Lees, the co-owner at Once Upon a Child.

They are doing everything they can to help. They want to get the word out that anyone with extra formula can drop it off at their location along Route 228. It just has to be sealed and before the expiration date. Each family can get one day for free.

“The goal was even if we can help one family and we’ve been able to help more than one just in a 48-hour period,” said Lees.

The formula drive has led other Once Upon a Child stores to do the same thing in Ohio and Delaware.

“It feels great that the community is helping everyone out, to see us come together at this time of need,” said Dietrich.

On Wednesday, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden greeted the second shipment of infant formula at Dulles International Airport. It is arriving at the Nestle plant near Allentown Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, Abbott says it will reopen the plant at the center of a nationwide recall on June 4.

“We’ll begin to see hopefully more supply in the next couple weeks, and over the course of several weeks, we should see a lessening of the tremendous stress people have been feeling,” said Tom Vilsack, the secretary of agriculture.

Channel 11 has not received information from Nestle or the governor’s office about when and where the baby formula will be distributed.

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