The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), celebrated a monumental milestone this April in their mission to safeguard the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutrition risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating, and referrals to health care1. WIC has been working in communities across the nation for 50 years, directly impacting the health and wellness of the foundational years of human life.
WIC holds a special place in my heart. Though I am now the Manager of Membership and Accreditation at the Food is Medicine Coalition, I started my career in the field of community nutrition as a WIC Nutritionist in Massachusetts. My time spent counseling families over the course of multiple years ignited my passion for improving health outcomes with quality nutrition services provided free of charge. It gave me a clear vision of my future professional path.
Though WIC is an organization that covers the nation, it operates at the community level. The impact of WIC services can be seen on a macro and micro level. Research investigating the impact WIC provides regarding children’s diets has found higher mean intakes of iron, vitamin C, thiamin, niacin and vitamin B6, without an increase in food energy intake, indicating an increase in the nutrient density of the diet2. The positive outcomes are thanks to the framework within which WIC provides their services: not only does the program distribute supplemental food stipends, but it offers ongoing nutrition education and counseling as a part of enrollment. My role as a WIC Nutritionist involved providing nutrition education and counseling to WIC participants, yielding individual insight on the outcomes of WIC at the family level, as well as the national level.
One family in particular has always stayed with me. A toddler being fostered by his extended family was experiencing a delay in development. I found through my nutrition assessment that he was unable to utilize his motor skills to pick up or swallow solids, causing him to rely solely on formula for his nutrition. Collaborating with his foster family and network of support, we designed a plan of action to help him conquer these challenges. After months of counseling sessions, we witnessed him develop and grow into a vibrant toddler who was functioning at a developmental level appropriate for his age group. Beyond trackable outcomes, he began to smile, laugh, and socialize for the first time, with gratitude to WIC for this priceless improvement in his quality of life.
As I am writing this, I am once again reminded of the magic WIC has created in our communities for the past five decades. Families who would otherwise not have had access to nutritious food or to nutrition services needed to broaden their knowledge of proper diets and feeding practices now have the ability to incorporate healthy diets and eating habits into their everyday life. While WIC celebrated their 50th year of service, I hope we can all reflect, appreciate, and honor those working on the ground as WIC staff and the families participating to empower their health.
Authored by: Maya Park, Manager of Membership and Accreditation, FIMC