If you’ve ever seen the WIC shelf tags at the grocery store and wondered what they are or what WIC is all about, we’ve got answers for you.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, commonly known as WIC, is more than a supplemental program. It’s a guide to a healthier, happier life that profoundly impacts eligible families: WIC supports about half of all infants born in the United States.
Our team at Shamrock is proud to work with NW Pennsylvania WIC. We’ve learned much about what the organization offers and its positive effect on the health and well-being of women, infants, children, and families in the local community. It’s a story with sharing:
Understanding WIC.
Established in 1972, WIC is a federal health and nutrition program that works to prevent and improve nutrition-related health problems by supporting pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age five. WIC empowers families to eat well, enjoy a healthy pregnancy, successfully breastfeed, and raise strong, thriving kids.
Here’s how they do it: The agency provides eligible participants access to nutritious foods, customized nutrition education, and support services to help ensure a healthy start for mothers, parents, foster parents, grandparents or guardians, and their children. Nationwide, 92 WIC state agencies serve over 7 million women, children, and families monthly through more than 47,000 authorized WIC retailers.
NWPA WIC: Helping local families thrive.
One of 224 WIC sites in Pennsylvania, NW Pennsylvania WIC serves more than 2,500 WIC participants in partnership with Meadville Medical Center. They support eligible families in Crawford, Clarion, and Warren counties, providing these essentials:
- Healthy food, including Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) vouchers for children six months and older.
- Shopping help: WIC-approved grocery shopping lists featuring healthy and delicious food selections, product information, recall alerts, and more.
- One-on-one counseling with nutritionists to help participants understand their specific dietary needs and learn how to plan healthy meals and snacks accordingly.
- Healthy recipes and cooking demonstrations for simple everyday meal preparation.
- Referrals to health and social service programs, including free and reduced-cost health screenings, checkups, family planning, and education services.
- Breastfeeding education and support to help mothers breastfeed successfully, providing the very best start for healthy, thriving babies.
- Parenting resources, including group support, easy-access online classes, and more to help families of all shapes and sizes raise happy, healthy kids.
Shamrock & NW Pennsylvania WIC
Through our partnership with NW Pennsylvania WIC, we’ve learned a lot about the federal nutrition program and, most importantly, the local agencies’ impact, creating healthier, happier lives for local families. It feels good to know that our marketing support helps further that mission.
