Meet Alexandra Brock:
Alexandra is the founder of the McLennan County Diaper Collective, a volunteer-run diaper bank that provides thousands of diapers each month to families across McLennan County. Since it launched in spring 2023, the collective has grown into a steady support system for parents who often have few places to turn for parenting resources. Alongside her two co-leaders, Alexandra balances wrapping nights, inventory, fundraising, and community partnerships, all while working full-time.
Her journey to Waco:
A North Austin native, Alexandra moved to Waco in May 2022 to work for Planned Parenthood, which is still her employer. In her short time in McLennan County, she found an unexpected sense of community. Working in women’s health in Texas has come with challenges, she says, but the support and resilience she’s found in Waco keeps her rooted.
Her path into this work:
Alexandra graduated from Round Rock High School before heading overseas for college. She earned degrees in international relations and world religions from Lancaster University, then completed a master’s in humanitarianism and conflict response at the University of Manchester. Her career has centered on gender-based violence prevention, an experience she now puts to use volunteering for the Advocacy Center’s crisis hotline. Prior to Waco, she worked with the Red Cross.
How she’s making a difference:
The diaper collective now distributes about 10,000 diapers each month, supplied by local and national donors and diaper companies. The team designed the program to remove barriers: Families simply request what they need, without worrying about paperwork or proof of eligibility. Because transportation is a major hurdle for many, the collective splits its supply — half reserved in advance, half available first come, first served. In November, the collective celebrated a milestone: with the 300,000th diaper distributed.
For Alexandra, the collective is more than a supply line. Families often bring back unused diapers their children have outgrown or volunteer during wrapping nights at University Baptist Church, where kids and babies are always welcome.
“That’s why we chose the name ‘Diaper Collective,’” she says. “This work belongs to the community.”
What inspires this work:
Alexandra’s motivation comes from seeing the gap between what parents want to provide for their children and what they can realistically afford. After conversations with local families and partners, she and her friends decided to act. “Why not us?” she remembers asking. Each distribution day, greeting families, watching little ones grow, hearing how people are doing just reinforces that decision. “It’s one of the biggest joys in my life to get to be part of their village.”
How she sees Waco:
Alexandra sees a city growing quickly and embracing new opportunities while still wrestling with long-standing inequities. She admires the way Waco celebrates its many cultures and histories but says her work constantly reminds her how many families still lack basic support systems.
Her hopes for Waco’s future:
She dreams of a Waco where everyone feels fully welcomed and supported, and where investments in community needs are shaped by the people most affected by local and state policies.
“Waco is a beautiful, diverse city,” she says. “I hope we become a place where that diversity is one of our most celebrated strengths.”
For information on how to donate, get involved or sign up to receive diapers, visit mcdiapers.org.
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Waco Voices is a project by The Waco Bridge to highlight unsung heroes in our community who are bringing about positive change. If you know of someone we should highlight in this series, email Community Engagement and Events Manager Dominic Villa at [email protected].
