MARWICT . I . M . E . SM I D - AT L A N T I C R E G I O N S U P P L E M E N TA L N U T R I T I O N P R O G R A M F O R W O M E N , I N FA N T S , A N D C H I L D R E N

� VA’s RappahannockArea WIC Program Hosts BreastfeedingBaby Shower .................Page 3

� New Jersey’sGateway WICEstablishes LendingLibrary.................Page 5

� Mid-AtlanticRegion CelebratesBreastfeeding.................Pages 6-8

� Farmers’ MarketTime at PA’s SouthCentral CommunityAction Program’sWIC Office.................Page 10

WINTER 2018

VIRGINIA’S NORFOLK HEALTH DISTRICT WIC PROGRAMRECEIVES BUSINESSES INVESTING IN BABIES (BIB) AWARDBy Vincent FalzoneNorfolk Health District WIC Outreach Coordinator

Virginia’sNorfolkWIC

Program receiveda BusinessesInvesting inBabies (BIB)Award on August17. The BIBAward recog-nizes businessesand organizationswho participatedin theBreastfeedingWelcome Here(BFWH) program conducted by the Consortium for Infant and Child Health (CINCH) at Eastern Virginia Medical School. Aspart of the BFWH program, the Norfolk District WIC staff was

FNS THANKS THE WIC STAFF FROM

PUERTO RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDSBy Amy L. Holtan, MA, RDWIC Team Leader, MARO

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Office of theFood and Nutrition Services would liketo sincerely thank the Puerto Rico and

Virgin Islands WIC staff for their tremendousefforts to keepWIC operationalfor participants

Puerto Rico’s Trujillo Alto clinic.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WIC’S CHILDREN’S NATIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM HOSTS OFFICIALS FROM BRAZIL

Children’s National Health System (CNHS), a District ofColumbia WIC Local agency, was proud to provide a tour oftheir facilities and to share the important services they provide

with a delegation from Brazil. The delegation included Caio Rocha,National Secretary of Food and Nutrition Security Ministry of SocialDevelopment and Fight against Hunger, and his team. The delega-tion was interested in seeing first-hand how United States’ food safe-ty network programs, such as WIC, work to alleviate hunger andhelp low-income individuals and families have access to healthyfoods. Joining the delegation was Gary Vessels from the Food andNutrition Service External and Governmental Affairs Office of theChief Communications Officer.

Having met with both WIC staff and primary care physicians fromthe CNHS community, the delegation was impressed with the coordi-nation of services between WIC and primary care. Both staff workclosely together to coordinate scheduling of primary care and WICappointments to ensure WIC families receive continuity of care. Thedelegation also had the opportunity to visit the Arcadia mobile farm-ers’ market located on hopsital grounds. The mobile market is avail-able for WIC clients, hospital staff and visitors during its weekly visitto the CNHS hospital location. This conveniently allows WIC clientsto redeem their Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program benefits on site.

Children’s National Health System has been providing WIC servic-es since 1981 and is very proud to share their work with this international audience. �

VISITING DIGNITARIES — Pictured (left to right) are Lisa Brown, WIC Nutritionist; Brazilian EmbassyInterpreter; Lilian dos Santos Rahal, AssistantSecretary Brazil Ministry of Social Development and Fight Against Hunger; Jaya Janakiram, WIC LocalAgency Director, Children’s National Health Systems;Secretary Caio Rocha; Jeremy Mauck, Arcadia Mobile Market; Gary Vessels, FNS-External andGovernmental Affairs, Office of the ChiefCommunications Officer.

AWARD WINNERS — Accepting the BIB Award are(left to right) Courtney Primero, Breastfeeding PeerCounselor; Dr. Clarence Gowen, EVMS Departmentof Pediatrics Chair; Genesis Jackson, BreastfeedingCoordinator; Vincent Falzone, Outreach Coordinator;and Amy Paulson, CINCH Director.

Continued on page 5

Continued on page 2

The MARWIC TIMES newsletter is now available online at www.nal.usda.gov/wicworks

Shermaine servingChristiansteadclients.

NEWS FROM PENNSYLVANIA’S ERIE COUNTY WIC PROGRAM: PACK AND PLAYS BIG HIT WITH WIC CLIENTSBy Barbara Warner, Outreach Coordinator, UNFHCC Erie County WIC Program

Recently, Erie County WIC Director DeboraJamison teamed up with Patty Puline, of SafeKids Erie, to develop a grant to help our young

families. This resulted in Safe Kids Erie being awardeda $10,000 grant which was used to purchase 100 Packand Plays, crib sheets, zip-up baby sacks, pacifiers,educational videos and pamphlets, which includeinformation about safe sleep for infants. The idea is tofind out if our WIC clients have cribs for their infants,and if not, set them up with a Pack and Play alongwith all the extras. Our moms have been very excitedto get these extraordinary gifts. One mom had beenhaving a rough time. In her situation, she had recentlybeen put out by the baby’s father and went to a home-less shelter. She didn’t have a place for her infant tosleep. She came in for her WIC appointment and leftwith information about safe sleep for her infant, a newPack and Play and the biggest grin you can imagine.Again, this shows how WIC touches lives in so manyspecial ways! �

MARWIC TIMES is funded bythe United States Department ofAgriculture, Mid-Atlantic RegionOffice as a discretionary projectof New Jersey WIC.

Cindy Weiss-Fisher, MS, RD..........Project ManagerNJ WIC Services

Christina Balas ...............................Creative Director

Lisa Arnold.....................................Editor

Please submit articles or story ideas for

MARWIC TIMES to your State Editor

at the State WIC Office Address.

Delaware.......................Joanne White

District of Columbia......Paulette Thompson, MS,

RDN, LDN, CLS

Maryland.......................Debbie Morgan

Nicole Slater

New Jersey ....................Cindy Weiss-Fisher, MS, RD

Pennsylvania .................Bonnie Mellott

Puerto Rico ...................Lourdes I. Romero Reyes

Virgin Islands .................Lorna Concepcion, MS, RD

Virginia..........................Natalie Pennywell, MPH, CHES

West Virginia ................Denise V. Ferris, RDN, LD,

DrPH

MARO, USDA...............Jennifer Nagy, MPH, RD

In accordance with Federal civil rights law andU.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rightsregulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies,offices, and employees, and institutions participatingin or administering USDA programs are prohibitedfrom discriminating based on race, color, nationalorigin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation forprior civil rights activity in any program or activityconducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternativemeans of communication for program information(e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American SignLanguage, etc.), should contact the Agency (State orlocal) where they applied for benefits. Individualswho are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabil-ities may contact USDA through the Federal RelayService at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, programinformation may be made available in languagesother than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination,complete the USDA Program DiscriminationComplaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at:http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html,and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed toUSDA and provide in the letter all of the informationrequested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit yourcompleted form or letter to USDA by:

(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410

(2) Fax: (202) 690-7442 or

(3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov.This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

2

after Hurricanes Irma and Maria caused unfathomable destruction to the islands. Despite livingin difficult conditions themselves, Jeanette Canino, PR WIC Director, and Lorna Concepcion, VIWIC Director, led their staffs in responding to the needs of participants. Staff has gone aboveand beyond to ensure pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and children continue to haveproper nutrition during a very stressful time. While some WIC participants have left the islands,other residents not previously eligible for WIC now qualify for services. WIC has risen to thechallenge, sometimes conducting manual certifications when the system has been non-opera-tional, batch printing of checks at locations with system access, and requesting flexibilities fromFNS, including to substitute WIC foods not available at the stores, and allow food instruments tobe accepted past the last date to use, to name a few. At times, PR and VI WIC staff are workingin conditions that are far from ideal, including unreliable generator power, no power at all, or asimple table outside the front door of a clinic.

The use of the Verification of Certification (VOC) process has been invaluable for WIC partici-pants leaving the islands, especially from Puerto Rico. To date, PR WIC has received just under4,000 calls and emails from other WIC State and Local agencies for VOC information. AlthoughPR dislikes losing all of those participants, it is a relief to know that WIC continues to serve themfrom other locations.

Additionally, MARO would like to thank the Maryland WIC State Agency for their assistance to ensure that USVI’s information system, WOW, was fully operational once power and internetconnectivity were available in the USVI and for their help with additional data requests as needed.

We understand there is still a long way to go before WIC operations are what they were prior to the hurricanes in both Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands. FNS is committed to offeringcontinued assistance in any way possible.

The devotion of PR and VI WIC staff is commendable and again, we are grateful for theirservice. �

FNS Thaks the WIC Staff continued from page 1

SAFE SLUMBER — Moms received Pack andPlays and other infant items.

FARMERS’ MARKET IS A WIN-WIN FOR ALL IN WV’S BOONE COUNTYBy Gina Graffius

Gina Graffius, Office Coordinator, of the Valley Health WIC Program in Boone County(WV) experienced firsthand the excitement and enthusiasm of participants and farmers at the Farmers’ Market this summer.

The enthusiasm is contagious when Gina says, “What a great experience my clients and Ihave had with the Farmers’ Market vouchers this year! I even believe that the farmers enjoyedworking with the WIC clients. I stopped down several times to talk with the local market hereand the farmers seemed very excited. They told me how the clients would let the children pickout the vegetables they wanted and also how the parents would tell of stories of canning. Thistruly is a valuable program and I know my clients and farmers all appreciate it! Thank you forall your hard work in overseeing this wonderful program! ” �

By Jennifer Nagy, Program Specialist

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Office (MARO) for the Food andNutrition Service (FNS) held a WIC Program and GrantsManagement Financial Training on October 18-19. The event

was well attended by representatives from the Mid-Atlantic Statesand some MARO staff as well. The two-day training had a funHalloween theme urging attendees to “Not Fear Funding.” Stafffrom both the WIC and Grants Management and AdministrativeServices branches at MARO had an opportunity to present an agen-da chock-full of helpful and practical information.

The first day started with an overview of the WIC fundingprocess and was led by the WIC Program staff. A detailed explana-tion on WIC financial and participation reporting was provided andattendees had an opportunity to review and discuss each line of theWIC Financial Management and Participation Report or FNS 798.This report is submitted monthly by WIC State agencies to docu-ment participation and expenditures and is critical to WIC Program monitoring, planning and funding. Additional items covered include forecast-ing, Operational Adjustment Funding, Special Grants and the approval process for WIC office renovations and purchases.

Day two of the training featured several staff from the MARO Grants Management and Administrative Services Branch presenting a variety of topics. These included the Grant Award Document and Letter of Credit Life Cycle, Data Analytics and their use in the financial management of the program, allowable costs, funding and reporting for the Famers’ Market and Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs and procurement.

The day ended with a fun and interactive “Test Your Knowledge Quiz” and all participants left with a trophy, a smile and lots of valuable information about the funding and financial processes of WIC! �

NEWS FROM THE USDA: USDA MID-ATLANTIC OFFICE PROVIDES WIC PROGRAM & GRANTS MANAGEMENT FINANCIAL TRAINING

VNACJ WIC PROGRAM PROMOTES HEALTHY BEVERAGE OPTIONSBy Zakiya Stewart, VNACJ WIC Nutrition Educator

Throughout the month ofJuly, the VNACJ WICProgram clinics in New

Brunswick, NJ and PerthAmboy, NJ provided nutritioneducation on sweetened bev-erages. Childhood obesity isno stranger to New Jersey res-idents. According to theCDC*, 16.8% of children ages2 to 4 years old in the NJ WICProgram were obese in 2016.WIC strives to combat theproblem of obesity amongchildren under age five byconsistently addressing issuessuch as inadequate physicalactivity and eating large quan-tities of unhealthy foods. Thismonth, VNACJ focused on theissue of how consuming sweet drinks, such as juice, soda, and sportsbeverages, yields little to no nutritional benefits and contributes tounhealthy weight gain due to excessive amounts of sugar.

The nutrition education lesson at the Middlesex County WIC clin-ics was titled, “How Sweet Is Your Drink?” This lesson covered infor-mation about the amount of sugar found in common soft drinks, howto read food labels, negative effects of consuming too much sugar, aswell as healthy alternatives. As part of the lesson, two boiled eggswere left in grape juice overnight to demonstrate the effects that sugarhas on tooth enamel. WIC participants were also offered watermel-on-infused water as a simple alternative for hydration and replacingsugary beverages. One WIC mom stated, “This water was refreshing; I enjoyed the lesson and I definitely plan on trying this at home!”

*New Jersey State Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity Profile(https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/state-local-programs/profiles/new-jersey.html) �

3

CREATIVE DISPLAYS — VNACJ WIC participants were invited to guess howmuch sugar is in these sweet drinks andto taste watermelon infused water – a healthier substitute.

April DensonDanae Lewis Jaime Van Lieu

FEATURED SPEAKERS AT THE WIC PROGRAM AND GRANTS MANAGEMENT FINANCIAL TRAINING

VIRGINIA’S RAPPAHANNOCK AREA WIC PROGRAMHOSTS BREASTFEEDING BABY SHOWERBy Sarah Whitson, RDFredericksburg Health Department WIC Nutritionist, Sr.

On August 4, the Rappahannock Area WIC Program hosted a“Ready to Pop”-themed breastfeeding baby shower for pregnantWIC participants in celebration of World Breastfeeding Week.

There were about 15 WIC moms who attended and many brought familymembers and support people to learn more about breastfeeding.

Attendees played games like Breastfeeding BINGO and a grab-baggame where participants were blindfolded and had to guess what differentitems were that related to the benefits of breastfeeding.

The shower was planned by Breastfeeding Peer Counselors EvaMcCarthy and Brittney Uttaro, as well as Breastfeeding Coordinator SarahWhitson. Eva mingled with moms and facilitated all of the activities andBrittney presented a breastfeeding class to provide education to the momson how to get started with breastfeeding. A lactation consultant fromMary Washington Hospital, Valerie Lemelin, also attended and talked withthe moms about what they can expect at the hospital. All moms were pro-vided a gift bag filled with breastfeeding materials. This event was a greatway to celebrate breastfeeding moms and pamper a few of the WIC momsbefore they welcome their babies into the world. �

READY TO POP — WIC staff members (top, left to right) Eva McCarthy, AlexisBurnett, Anita Ware, Wanda Draper, Kim Orange, Brittney Uttaro, Kim Hughes,(bottom left to right) Christy Redmond, and Sarah Whitson pose for a photo duringthe “Ready to Pop”-themed baby shower.

NEW JERSEY’S EAST ORANGE WIC CELEBRATES NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTHBy Olufunke Odedele, Chief Nutritionist and Chesney Blue, Program Coordinator

NJ’s East Orange WIC’s National Nutrition Month events were centered on this year’s theme of “Put Your Best Fork Forward.” We were able toprovide excitement at the East

Orange Public Library where one of ournutritionists, Annie Mathews – donnedin her milk costume, accompanied byElena Monge, our bilingual receptionist– was able to read stories on healthy eat-ing to children and their moms. Some ofthe children had fun trying on the cos-tume!

The WIC office partnered with thelocal East Orange Shoprite RegisteredDietitian, Sally Hammer, to present and make appetizing fruit and veggiesmoothies. She also taught participantsand care givers how to organize theirshopping list, and make an effective useof coupons to save money. Giveawayswere provided to all who attended andWIC nutritionists provided recipe cards.

We closed out our National NutritionMonth events by awarding winners ofour post-partum weight loss challenge.Forty post-partum breastfeeding andnon-breastfeeding moms signed up toparticipate in one-on-one counselingwith motivational interviewing tech-niques and monthly follow-up phonecalls by staff nutritionists for six months.The Shoprite registered dietitian con-ducted a weight management class forparticipants. As a group, participantslost a total of 151 pounds in six months.One non-breastfeeding and one breast-feeding mom were awarded gift cards to Shoprite for losing the most. The East Orange WIC Program would like to thank our community partners, staff and clients for participating in this year’s events. �

DELAWARE WIC RELOCATES TO

LA RED HEALTH CENTER IN GEORGETOWN

The Delaware WIC Program’s Georgetown office recentlyrelocated to better meet the needs of their clients. OnSeptember 28, the Division of Public Health (DPH) held

a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at their newoffice at the La Red Health Center, located at 21444 CarmeanWay in Georgetown, DE.

Speakers were Brian Olson, Chief Executive Officer, La RedHealth Center; Division of Public Health Director Dr. KarylRattay; and Patricia Dombroski, Regional Administrator, USDAFood and Nutrition Service, Mid-Atlantic Regional Office.

WIC moved from the Thurman Adams State Service Centerafter DPH and La Red Health Center agreed to offer medicaland social services under one roof. Now it is more convenientfor WIC clients to see the center’s primary care, chronic disease care, oral health care, and behavioral health careproviders. Clients can also access Medicaid eligibility andenrollment and Screening for Life programs in that building.

With so many services available at a central site,Georgetown area residents face fewer transportation barriers;La Red Health Center is within walking distance to WIC vendors such as Wal-Mart and Redner’s. The center also offersinterpretation services, which is important for client care. �

RED RIBBON DAY — WIC staff and other dignitaries took part in the official ribbon-cutting ceremony.

MARYLAND WIC ASKS: “IS THERE AN APP FOR THAT?”By Jennifer Wilson, MEd, RD, LDN, Director, Maryland WIC Program

Maryland WIC agencies began issuing electronic benefits in January 2017 and all participants are now receivingbenefits with a Maryland eWIC card. Participants, staff and vendors are thrilled with this newest change that hasmade benefit issuance and redemption more efficient for everyone. eWIC rollout was closely followed by the

introduction of the Maryland WIC Mobile App for eWIC card users. Designed by 3 Sigma Software in conjunction withMichigan WIC, the app rolled out in Maryland in September and is available for iPhone and Android users.

Features of the app that participants report liking the most are being able to see their current and future benefits, receiv-ing appointment notifications, and being able to scan a UPC while shopping to see if the item is WIC approved and theirremaining benefit balance. If the product is not a WIC- approved item, with the click of a button, the item can be submit-ted for consideration to be added to the Approved Product List (APL).

In addition to these helpful features, the app also includes the Authorized Foods List, searchable maps for clinic andvendor locations throughout Maryland, and is available in English and Spanish. WIC participants can receive notificationalerts for upcoming appointments and expiring benefits, call their clinic or click a link to contact our eWIC processor customer support center.

We had over 150 downloads of the app before we even advertised that it was available, which shows that our clientswere out there looking for something to help them participate in the Program. There’s more that we can do with the appbut we decided to start with the basics and let our clients decide where we go from here. We couldn’t be happier withthe results so far. �

4

WINNER — Weight loss winner DeneusePierre-Louise (right) is pictured with StaffNutritionist Olufunke Odedele.

ANOTHER WINNER — Weight loss winnerShamonique Sharpe (left) is pictured withStaff Nutritionist Elin Waithe.

WEST VIRGINIA’S MID OHIO VALLEY WIC HOSTS TODDLER TUESDAYS AT THE MALLBy Jennifer Habeb, Outreach Coordinator

West Virginia’s Mid Ohio Valley WIC has beenmore proactive lately with getting out into thecommunity to promote our services. We have

participated in many events such as fishing rodeos andbaby showers in multiple counties. There is one eventthat we started participating in that is attracting a lot ofyoung families. Recently the Grand Central Mall (GCM)in Vienna, WV has started a monthly event called ToddlerTuesday. We are very appreciative of the GCM for spear-heading this new event and allowing us to participateand set up a table.

This event takes place in the GCM play area, analready popular place for young children. In July, the theme for the event was Princes and Princesses andyoung children could dress up like a prince or princess if they wanted. The GCM collaborated with some arearesources to make the event a success. An actress from the Actors Guild of Parkersburg dressed upas Belle from Beauty and the Beast. She read a story to the children and was available for pictures.A craft was provided. WIC provided a healthy snack and set up an informational table display out-side of the play area and next to our community partner, Birth To Three. Many other stores andservices in the mall offered discounted specials that day. One store, The Pottery Place, offered a tilefor toddlers to paint at a discounted price. The Grand Central Express offered discounts for trainrides for the toddlers to enjoy. Gift cards and door prizes were given out as well. This event was ahuge success with many families with young children attending.

There are few events in our area that are this well attended by young families and offer such awide variety of fun things for the children to participate in. MOV WIC is very grateful that the GCMis happy to partner with us and helping us to reach more people in the community and informingthem of all the great benefits WIC has to offer for this specific age group. �

MARYLAND WIC NUTRITION UPDATEBy Colleen Pierre, MS, RD, LDNNutrition Specialist, Maryland WIC Program

Try to wrap your mind around this: leadabsorbed by your body gets into yourbones… and stays there up to 45

years. That lead can be released and affectyour unborn child when you become preg-nant. If your lead level is high enough, it canalso pass to your infant through breast milk.

Barbara Moore, Clinical Director of theLead Poisoning Program at Mt. WashingtonPediatric Hospital in Baltimore, and Dr.Clifford Mitchell, MD, Director of theEnvironmental Health Bureau of theMaryland Department of Health, shared thisand other information on lead poisoning and its prevention, effects, and treatment during the MD WIC Nutrition Update at The Gathering Place in Clarksville, Marylandon October 25.

This Nutrition Update focused on thearray of new and updated nutrition risks forthe coming year in WIC. Among them,Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome wasaddressed by Cheryl Harrow, Director of theCenter for Breastfeeding at Johns HopkinsBayview Medical Center.

The Nutrition and Breastfeeding Unitcoordinated presentations to cover additionalrisks and formula assignment and manage-ment issues: n Colleen Pierre provided insight into most of the remaining risks.

n Amy Resnik discussed the risks related toproviding an infant with breastmilk notfrom the baby’s own mother.

n Donna Dennis presented updated guidanceon special formula approval and documen-tation.

n Carolyn Wescott engaged the attendees inan activity to use critical thinking when thediagnosis and prescribed formula do notmatch.

n Joyce Hornick walked through the intrica-cies of food package tailoring related tovarious qualifying medical conditions. The highlight of the day was the introduc-

tion of Maryland WIC’s new Director, JennWilson, to a standing ovation.

A good time was had by all! �

5

FUN DAY AT THE MALL — Renee Metz,HHS Aide, talks with parents who attendedToddler Tuesday, as children take a healthyWIC-approved snack they can grab and go.

trained; clinics pledged support and put upsignage welcoming breastfeeding. The pro-gram’s mission is to increase awareness andpublic acceptance of nursing as normal. Thisincludes not asking a mother to leave an areaof places open to the public, to cover herbaby, or to stop breastfeeding. Thanks toGenesis Jackson, Breastfeeding Coordinator;Vincent Falzone, Outreach Coordinator; andCourtney Primero, Breastfeeding PeerCounselor for their work. �

VA’s Norfolk continued from page 1

NEW JERSEY’S GATEWAY WIC ESTABLISHES LENDING LIBRARYBy Jaya Velpuri, PhD, CCAP, VP/WIC Director, Gateway CAP

To improve the waiting experience in a meaningfulway, Gateway Community Action Partnership’sWIC Program, in partnership led by Southern New

Jersey Regional Early Intervention Collaborative, estab-lished lending libraries for our Program participants andchildren as they wait for services at our Bridgeton andMillville WIC offices in Cumberland County.

The libraries were unveiled September 29. Included in the partnership are Lowe’s (who provided fabuloushand-made reading benches) and 1,000 Books BeforeKindergarten. Thanks also go to Inspira Health Networkfor providing healthy snacks and drinks for the children.

“Great idea to help our children get into the mode ofreading,” said Albert B. Kelly, Gateway’s President andCEO at the launching of the library in Bridgeton. “Getthem used to looking at books, handling books, readingbooks. I appreciate you helping us to have a lendinglibrary here. As we can see, our children are already uti-lizing the books and enjoying all the things books bringto us. Thank you very much for this lending library and at our other centers.”

These libraries will not only be an educational resource for children and families to utilize whilewaiting for direct services, but also to borrow them to read them at home. Our partner, SouthernNew Jersey Regional Early Intervention Collaborative, said they would be happy to replenish thebook supply in case participants do not return the books. �

MARWIC TIMES

Calendar

The deadline for the Spring issue of MARWIC Times is February 9, 2018.Submit articles, photos and calendar events to your State editor. NoPolaroid pictures. 5” x 7” digital photos (saved as JPEGs) preferred. All photographs must include a detailed caption.

NEW JERSEY’S NEWARK WIC SUSTAINING BREASTFEEDING TOGETHERBy Sharon Schopfer

On August 17, the City of Newark (NJ) WICcelebrated World Breastfeeding Week with16 of our WIC participants. Here in

Newark, we enjoyed a presentation from ReneeFisher, IBCLC, the Ameda representative. Renee gavean informative presentation regarding the thoughtfuldesign and function of an Ameda personal usepump, the “Purely Yours.” Renee also addressed theneed during pumping to have 4 out of 9 hormonalresponses triggered to create milk flow for successfulpumping. She gave suggestions such as using a babyblanket, your kids' picture or sounds of your baby toget the milk to flow. These are great tips to helpmothers successfully pump when separated fromyour baby and maintain a healthy milk supply.

Ngozi Njoku-Obi, one of our supervisors andnutritionist, demonstrated the traditional method ofbabywearing from her native country of Nigeria. Shedescribed the different ways moms can wear theirbabies for comfort, convenience, stability and ahappy, comforted baby.

Our moms also enjoyed the fun, educationalgame of Breastfeeding BINGO along with food anda culmination of an exciting raffle for a large basketwith decoratively wrapped breastfeeding support items. The BINGO game took place first and then the food was enjoyed by all as the motherslaughed and played; all involved enjoyed this fun party.

Newark WIC would like to thank Carmen Vacchiano, of Vacchiano Farms of Washington, NJ for providing delicious WIC Farmer’s Market produceto include in our celebration. What a great way of demonstrating and sampling the great food offered through the Farmers’ Market Program.

Breastfeeding staff in attendance included Renee Suppa, BFPC; Jennifer Aguilera, BFPC; Nneka Nazario, BFPC; and Sharon Schopfer IBCLC,Breastfeeding Coordinator. �

6

MID-ATLANTIC REGION CELEBRATES BREASTFEEDING

NEW JERSEY’S BURLINGTON COUNTY WIC OBSERVES WORLD BREASTFEEDING MONTH

New Jersey’s Burlington County WIC Program celebrated WorldBreastfeeding Month by rewarding

breastfeeding mothers registered under thelocal agency with fashionable nursingaccessories such as a nursing bra, nursingscarf or a tank top.

The local agency acknowledges andappreciates Breast Feeding Peer CounselorMilli Schaeffer for her compassion and cre-ativity. Milli made two diaper cakes for theagency’s prenatal mothers. WIC partici-pants Amanda Battaglia and Lynn Hurlburtwere the two lucky winners who receivedthe diaper cakes. Both moms were elatedto have a much-needed item such as dia-pers.

The benefits of breastfeeding are wellknown to nutritionists and health educa-tors. However, the Burlington County WICProgram’s major concern is why infants andchildren are increasingly on specializedinfant and children’s formula. Therefore, the staff would like to draw the attention of health professionals to promote and support breastfeeding through networkingfrom the time of conception. �

BREASTFEEDING FESTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS

GET THE MESSAGE — Newark WIC’s AugustBreastfeeding 2017 bulletin board.

FOOD FUN — Breastfeed staff created a beautifuldisplay of WIC foods by our breastfeeding staff.Produce was generously provided by Carmen ofVacchiano Farms.

NEW JERSEY’S NORTH HUDSON COMMUNITY ACTION CORPORATION WIC PROGRAMCELEBRATES WORLD BREASTFEEDING MONTH AND THE USDA GOLD LOVING SUPPORT AWARD

The flurry of activity during WorldBreastfeeding Month definitelyconjured up a seasonal excite-

ment in the NHCAC WIC Program asthe creativity of the peer counselors wasbursting forth while they organized ourannual event. Unlike previous outdoorevents, this year we opted for greaterintimacy and connection to our partici-pants by hosting our event on August 23in the clinic classroom. As the long-awaited day arrived, the usual anxietiesslowly creeped in as we quietly won-dered – will our moms show up? Thatquestion was answered soon enough asabout 30 of our participants graduallyrolled in with their bundles of joy forthe celebration. As always the peercounselors did not disappoint. Theymade each mother and child feel special and acknowledged for their breastfeeding achievements.

The event was kicked off with a beautifully decorated room filled with healthy lunch and snack items. The mothers enjoyed relaxing whiletalking to other WIC mothers. The peer counselors presented each mother with a certificate of appreciation for breastfeeding their little one,which was personalized with his/her footprint.

We were fortunate to have been joined by several community collaborators, including the Palisades Family Success Center, who donated 100beautifully knitted hats for the babies. The lactation consultants from HUMC Palisades Medical Center provided information along with the“healthy baby bags” for each mother. The Partnership for Maternal Child Health came to provide support and information on availableresources. Our food, decorations and wonderful giveaways (nursing pillows, covers, etc.) were provided by donations from Ponce De LeonFederal Bank, Extra Supermarket, Trader Joe’s, and BJ’s Wholesale Club.

The moment that carried the day was the surprise visit by the USDA and NJ Department of Health. USDA FNS Mid-Atlantic Regional OfficeSpecial Nutrition Program Director Roberta Hodsdon and WIC Team Leader Amy Holtan joined NJ DOH Peer Counselor Coordinator MaryTurbek to present the WIC agency with the USDA Loving Support Gold Award. Our program was one of three NJ WIC agencies to receive theaward. For a brief moment we stood there bestowing congratulations to the honorees as we all -- breastfeeding staff and participants -- contem-plated our varied journeys in breastfeeding that had led us to this moment. As the spell slowly broke and everyone returned to their respectiverealities, we were left energized about our future prospects in promoting breastfeeding in the community we serve. �

VIRGINIA’S CHESAPEAKE HEALTH DISTRICT WIC CELEBRATES WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEKBy Eva Kaelber, WIC Breastfeeding Coordinator

Virginia’s Chesapeake WIC team celebratedWorld Breastfeeding Week by inviting preg-nant and breastfeeding women to attend a

special event held at our clinic on August 3. Severallocal programs were very excited to join WIC in pro-moting and supporting breastfeeding in our commu-nity. The programs in attendance included Anthem,CHIP, Chesapeake Regional Medical Center,International Babywearers of Hampton Roads, BabyCare Program, and FAMIS.

Upon arrival at the event, each participant wasgreeted by receiving a special bag containing WICbreastfeeding literature, local breastfeeding resourcesliterature, and breastfeeding product samples. Duringour event, families learned more about the benefitsof breastfeeding, how to read and understand foodlabels, gather information on additional breastfeedingresources available in the community, and take partin a raffle to win a breastfeeding basket. Families leisurely stopped at each resource table to ask questions and visited with other families inattendance, all while enjoying some fresh fruit and healthy granola snacks prepared by WIC staff. Moms and moms-to-be also took this opportu-nity to write special notes to let WIC know just what a huge impact the program has had on them and their families.

Many thanks go out to all programs in attendance for showing support, and companies who donated to the raffle basket and give-away bags.A special thanks to WIC staff Janice Lacerna, Jovan Freeman and Connie Smith for helping to make this event a success. �

AWARD WINNERS — Sharing in the moment wereMary Turbek, NJ DOH; Karen Lazarowitz, NHCAC WIC Program Coordinator; Amy Holtan and RobertaHodsdon, both USDA/FNS; and Wamaitha Mirie,NHCAC Breastfeeding Manager.

HAPPY OCCASION — Enjoying the day are NHCACbreastfeeding staff (left to right) Tamara Murga, BarbaraBagut, Maria Garcia, Ana Velazquez and WamaithaMirie, joined by Mary Turbek, NJ DOH (seated).

SHE’S A WINNER — Breastfeeding CoordinatorEva Kaelber (left) presents the raffle basket to the lucky winner, Kayla Whitley.

FAMILY AFFAIR — Numerous families participat-ing in the event.

7

DC’S MARY’S CENTER WIC JOYFULLY CELEBRATES NATIONAL BREASTFEEDING MONTH; RECEIVES THE LOVING SUPPORT GOLD AWARD OF EXCELLENCEBy Nichole M. Latoni, RDN, LND, CLC, Mary’s Center Nutrition Coordinator, Breastfeeding Coordinator

Mary’s Center WIC Program in Washington, DC commemorat-ed National Breastfeeding Month with a joyful celebrationfor our pregnant and breastfeeding participants. In line with

the theme for the month, “Sustaining Breastfeeding Together,” theevent focused on the collective impact of partnerships between par-ents and community to foster and sustain breastfeeding. The eventprovided a chance to educate and a chance to share through person-al stories.

On the education and resource side, participants learned abouthome visiting, legal assistance, and the Pacify phone app. LeahShoval, a registered nurse and lactation consultant representing theHealthy Start Home Visiting Program, discussed how home visits canhelp in the early days after the infant gets home and the mom isoverwhelmed and not able to get out.

Daljit Soni, an employment attorney with the First Shift JusticeProject, empowered parents by providing information on their rightsto breastfeed in public and at work; and George Brandes, the ChiefOperations Officer of Pacify Health, shared how the Pacify phoneapp provides 24/7 access to breastfeeding assistance for WIC moth-ers in the DC area. And DC WIC’s own Emily Woody, State agencyBreastfeeding Coordinator, talked about the initiatives in DC thathelp support breastfeeding.

WIC moms were the stars of the event, sharing their personal stories of breastfeeding and the WIC support they received. This encouraged othermothers in the audience to come forward with their own experiences with Mary’s Center WIC and how WIC has helped them with their breastfeed-ing struggles. Through the power of their stories, these women served as an encouraging voice to other participants in the audience on what properbreastfeeding support can help them accomplish, inspiring them to start, or continue to improve their children’s health and well-being throughbreastfeeding.

Topping off this special event was the presentation to Mary’s Center WIC of the “Loving Support Gold Award of Excellence” by PatriciaDombroski, USDA, FNS, Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator. This prestigious award honors Mary’s Center WIC for commendable and continuedcommitment and success in breastfeeding promotion and support, a hallmark interwoven throughout the stories shared by participants during theentire evening. Congratulations to the entire Mary’s Center WIC staff for this commendation of their hard work and commitment to help mothersimprove the lives of their families by achieving their breastfeeding goals!

Afterwards, all participants enjoyed delightful food and beverages from local DC eateries and had an opportunity to network and socialize withmoms and staff. As heartfelt thanks for their partnership with Mary’s Center WIC, all participants received gift bags of important supplies, includingdiapers from the DC Diaper bank, breast pads, and more.

The entire event was a great success, which we look forward to replicating the event next year. Congratulations Mary’s Center staff! �

LOVING SUPPORT MAKES BREASTFEEDING WORK IN MARYLAND

Maryland WIC conducted trainings forBreastfeeding Peer CounselorCoordinators, Local Agency

Coordinators, and Local Agency ClinicManagers to share the updated Loving SupportManagement Curriculum. Two events, eachdesigned to cover all 10 modules of the cur-riculum, were held at our Maryland WICTraining Center: one for the BreastfeedingPeer Counselor Coordinators (BFPCCs) andone for the Local Agency Coordinators andClinic Managers. Each training participantreceived a binder that included the presenta-tion slides, notes, research, and handouts. TheLoving Support platform was used for the pres-entation, ensuring maximum flexibility to focuson the discussion topics most valued by theattendees. While both trainings followed thecurriculum, the BFPCC group focused on theday-to-day challenges of implementing abreastfeeding peer counselor program, from

best practices for hiring to scope of practice tomeeting contact guidelines. One highlight ofthis training is the exercise “Supervisory Sense”which encourages BFPCCs to think about skillsthey value as supervisors and how they canuse these skills to improve their own mentor-ing of their breastfeeding peer counselors. Theday presented multiple opportunities for men-toring and idea sharing between attendees.These discussions greatly augmented the train-ing and a second day was added for theBFPCCs to ensure all modules of the curricu-lum could be covered in similar depth. TheLocal Agency Coordinator/Manager groupfocused on the benefits of a breastfeeding peercounselor program for the WIC participantsand the local agency/clinic. The goal of thistraining was to achieve a deeper understand-ing of the research behind the Loving Supportmodel with the hope that this new informationwould garner greater support of the breastfeed-

ing peer counselor program by local managers.Attendees were asked to evaluate the train-

ing to provide feedback on the experience andprovide information for future training needs.Comments on the evaluation forms reflect thevalue of the training experience. The followingare quotes from the attendees: “Training wasexcellent… learned a lot of valuable informa-tion… I am happy to have such a comprehen-sive and well-organized guide to WIC PeerCounseling Programs… This is a valuableresource... Gave me many ideas that should beimplemented in our local clinic to increasebreastfeeding rates and become more interac-tive with the pregnant and postpartum moms.”

Maryland WIC continues to work to sup-port, improve, and grow its Breastfeeding PeerCounselor program and show that LovingSupport is the key to breastfeeding success! �

8

MID-ATLANTIC REGION CELEBRATES BREASTFEEDING

ALL MOMS ALL EARS – Attendees at the DC WIC Mary’s Center National BreastfeedingMonth event listen attentively to a WIC mom sharing her breastfeeding story.

9

PENNSYLVANIA’S COMMUNITY PROGRESS COUNCIL OF YORK COUNTY PROMOTES FMNP TO INCREASE REDEMPTION RATESBy Carly Hess, Outreach Coordinator, Community Progress Council WIC, York, PA

Each summer, Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP)vouchers are distributed to eligible WIC participants. Lastyear, PA’s Community Progress Council (CPC) WIC ordered

19,000 vouchers of which 15,132 were issued. Out of the vouch-ers issued, only 6,821 were actually redeemed for a 45.08%redemption rate. The unredeemed vouchers totaled $41,555. Thisis produce that went unpurchased and income the local farmerscould have benefited from as well.

Why are families not using their FMNP vouchers? Do they notknow where to go? Do they not know what they can purchase?What can we do to increase redemption rates? These are questionsCPC WIC staff have inquired about to determine areas for improve-ment.

A Farmers’ Market Check “Kick-off Event” was held at PennMarket, a York City farmers’ market that accepts the FMNP vouch-ers. The event was held to distribute FMNP vouchers, as well asoffer an opportunity for participants to redeem vouchers if theychose to. This allowed families to receive their vouchers muchsooner than in the past years where a family would typically have to wait until their next scheduled appointment. There were activities and gamesfor the parents and children, such as kids’ yoga, MyPlate bag toss, Pennsylvania fruit and vegetable trivia, hopscotch and more. Tours of PennMarket were also available to families who were not familiar with the farmers’ market. Several food samples were offered using fresh Pennsylvania-grown produce. Terri Rentzel from Penn State Nutrition Links prepared samples of a kale salad with a vinegarette dressing. Many families wereseen leaving the market with bags of kale!

The event was very well attended by both WIC participants and community members. There were 278 participants who received FMNP vouch-ers at the event and many families were eager to purchase produce. The farmers reported $1,015 in FMNP vouchers were redeemed during theevent, and went on to say typically they don’t see that many vouchers redeemed in an entire summer. We can conclude this Farmers’ Market eventwas an amazing success!

The FMNP vouchers were distributed through the end of September and participants had until November 30, 2017, to redeem their vouchers.Redemption rates for 2017 will be determined in early 2018.

The Community Progress Council WIC Agency is hopeful the redemption rates will show an increase over last year! �

PLAY DAY — Everyone enjoyed play-ing the MyPlate bag toss game andlearning about the food groups.

YOGA FUN — York Branch YMCA yogainstructor, Evy Doherty, teaches Eric Dickersonhow to strike a pose.

WIC BREASTFEEDING PEER COUNSELOR LEGACY IN SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA MAKES FOR A SPECIAL WBWBy Diane Landy, TSN/WIC Outreach Coordinator

We often hear the expression time flies, andthat is certainly the way it seems to longtimestaff of the TSN/WIC Program in southern

West Virginia when they think of Melissa (Missy)Franklin, Breastfeeding Peer Counselor at the TSN/WICclinic in Bluefield, WV. Why? Missy started helpingwith World Breastfeeding Week events when she was a child. It all started in 1996 when she helped her mother Kathy Rotenberry (then a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor) with decorating and serving during abreastfeeding celebration, and she has been helpingever since. TSN/WIC staff has been like a second fami-ly to her.

This year when World Breastfeeding Week rolledaround in August, it came as no surprise that KathyRotenberry, now TSN/WIC Breastfeeding Coordinator,and daughter Missy worked together to create a uniqueexperience to reward breastfeeding moms. Missy, whojust happened to be eight months pregnant at the time, decided to put her photography skills to work,and breastfeeding families were invited to their own personal photo shoot at the Bluefield WIC clinic.Missy is a talented photographer and enjoys capturing those special moments between mother andbaby.

Lights. Camera. Action! The breastfeeding education room was transformed into a professional photography studio for the day. With a back dropin place, camera equipment set up, delicious refreshments and door prizes, Missy and her mother’s plans came to life. Breastfeeding participantswere treated like stars for a day! They received their own photo shoot and were presented with star-shaped keychains engraved with I’m a Star forbreastfeeding! Later, participants were also sent a CD with their photo-shoot pictures.

Since World Breastfeeding Week there have been some major changes in Missy Franklin’s life. Well, no, maybe just one little change that hasmade a very big difference: Ellie Olivia, born September 20, who is breastfeeding beautifully. Ellie joins older sister Lily Rose who was also breast-fed. Who knows? One day Lily or Ellie may become WIC breastfeeding peer counselors, and the legacy may continue. �

A BLAST FROM THE PAST — Kathy Rotenberry,IBCLC, and daughter Missy many years ago.

MOM AND BABY — Missy Franklin, BFPC, anddaughter Ellie.

FALL HAPPENINGS AT WEST VIRGINIA’SMID OHIO VALLEY WICBy Jennifer Habeb, Outreach Coordinator

WestVirginia’sMid Ohio

Valley WIC wasbusy in clinics andout in the communi-ty this fall. With aneffort to improvecaseload numbersand to reach morefamilies with thewonderful benefitsthe WIC programoffers, staff havebeen busy attendingmultiple events inour nine-countyregion.

In August, westarted doing monthly displays at our local grocerystores. We set up a table and were there to answerquestions about the WIC Program. We have alsoinvited WIC participants to stop by if they want anyassistance with shopping. We promoted our displayin August through a radio spot and social media. Inaddition to WIC information, recipes, and shoppinglists that were available to pick up, we made flavoredwater for people to taste. This lets people know oneway they can use WIC benefits and gave them achance to try a healthy drink versus the sugar-ladendrinks that are plentiful today.

August also brought back-to-school events. InWood County, we participated in a Back-To-SchoolBash at the Point Place Marketplace. This was a ter-rific event in which many local business and organi-zations took part. Kids could get school supplies andwin door prizes. It was very well attended.

Tammy Moyers, our breastfeeding peer counselor,has been attending a monthly Birth Start group inGilmer County. Gilmer County is one of our smallercounties on which we have been focusing our out-reach efforts. This event includes children from birthto school age. It is hosted by the Board of Educationand representatives from multiple agencies such as“Birth To Three” and “Right From The Start” who helpwith the event. Kids make a craft and participated in a learning activity that was age appropriate. InSeptember, Tammy gathered ingredients to make asingle serving of pumpkin pie in a bag. Kids thor-oughly enjoyed this activity and it was perfect for the season.

Some other events we participated in this fallwere Toddler Tuesday events at Wood County’s localshopping mall. There were multiple health fairs,community baby showers, our Family ResourceNetwork meeting and collaborative meetings that weattended.

We have slowly started to see an increase in ourcaseload. Our goal is to help as many families inWest Virginia as possible. Hopefully our continuedoutreach efforts will reach more families who couldbenefit from the wonderful services we provide. �

NEW JERSEY PLAINFIELD WIC CELEBRATES FOOD DAYBy Santha Kalyan

With the Halloween trick or treat traditionin mind, NJ’s Plainfield WIC nutritionistschose to address typical Halloween

candy splurge. We discussed the effects of candyon the body -- weight gain, tooth decay. WICNutritionist/Nurse Ester Dasilva presented a sugarcontent comparison with different candies. Therewas a demonstration with actual candy bars in dif-ferent sizes and the amount of sugar in eachcandy. WIC clients enjoyed participating in theevent and everybody received incentives such aswater bottles and sippy cups. �

FARMERS’ MARKET TIME AT PENNSYLVANIA’S SOUTH CENTRALCOMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM’S WIC OFFICEBy Alicia Miller, Outreach Education Coordinator, SCCAP, Inc.

On June 6, Pennsylvania’s South CentralCommunity Action Program, Inc. (SCCAP)WIC office held its eighth annual Farmers’

Market Festival in Adams County. From 9 am until2 pm, local farm stands were set up in the WICparking lot, and participants shopped for local pro-duce using Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program(FMNP) checks they received that day from theWIC staff. The WIC office issued 163 sets of checksto families who attended the festival!

In addition to the two farm stand vendors, manyactivities were available for the families to enjoy.Other exhibitors included Early Literacy, Head Start,Penn State Extension Nutrition Program, theGleaning Program and New York Life, who provid-ed complimentary finger printing. WIC staff provided food demos using quick and easyrecipes containing WIC foods. The WIC prize wheel provided all contestants with a freebook of their choice. There were many activities, but the day was not complete withoutgetting your face painted with a fruit or vegetable!

On June 10, our Franklin County WIC staff participated in the North Square Farmers’Market in downtown Chambersburg from 8 am until noon. This was the first year we par-ticipated in this Farmers’ Market, and we were busy throughout the morning and handedout 86 sets of FMNP checks. The WIC staff had three tables set up to hand out checks,speak with WIC participants as they attended the market, and encourage them to pur-chase some great local produce! For many moms, this was their first visit to the NorthSquare Farmers’ Market and they planned to return again. This event was so successfulwe plan on making this an annual event! �

FACE PAINTING IS FUN — NutritionistMike Watts volunteered his artistic abili-ties at the face painting booth during ourFarmers’ Market Festival in Gettysburg.

CANDY 101 — WIC’s Ester Dasilvaexplains the different sugar contents indifferent size candy bars.

READY, SET, GO — JenniferHabeb, Outreach CoordinatorMOV WIC, stands with Chris Berg,Ameri-Corp Vista with MOVHD;Melissa Ogden, CommunityResources Inc. Faithlink Program;and Shannon Hendrick, WV BirthTo Three, right before the Back ToSchool Bash gets underway.

10

WEST VIRGINIA’S VALLEY HEALTH PROMOTES FARMERS’ MARKETBy Mary Caldwell, Valley Health WIC Program Director

Valley Health WIC staff got into the funof decorating clinics to promote theFarmers’ Market Nutrition Program.

Vouchers were available to participants start-ing July 1, and were offered at the clinic sitesand at the various farm stands throughout thelocal agency area of six counties.

Enthusiasm ran high this year with the pro-motion and encouragement to clients to visitarea farmers’ markets. Karen Hughes helpedMorgan Ballengee place a door display onthe Nutrition Education Room at theKanawha County WIC site in Charleston, WV.Morgan designed the display. She and Karenare medical assistants. �.

OPEN FOR BUSINESS — Karen Hughes andMorgan Ballengee welcome participants to theFarmers’ Market Nutrition Program.

NEW JERSEY’S VNACJ WIC LAUNCHES FACEBOOK PAGE AND CELEBRATES BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTHBy Margaret Ferro and Zakiya Stewart, WIC Nutrition Educators, VNACJ WIC Program

New Jersey’s VNACJ WIC Program isexcited to introduce its “newborn.” InSeptember we launched our brand new

VNACJ WIC Facebook page. As part of thelaunch, we inserted an information page inWIC participant folders with a request to likeus on Facebook @vnacjwicprogram. Duringgroup classes we’re stirring interest and askingfor help to make the page a success. Everybodyloves a “newborn” and ours is no exceptionwith almost 100 likes to date!

“Creating content in advance and postingevery few days has created a solid start of fol-lowers,” said Rachel Baer, Chief Nutritionist.“The page enables us to communicate the top-ics we are discussing in the clinics, the eventstaking place, and provide links to educationalarticles, healthy recipes, and other resources inthe community.”

Facebook was especially valuable to us in October. In celebration of Breast Cancer AwarenessMonth, the VNACJ WIC Program held a “Pink Yogurt Parfait Party” in each clinic. The event’s purposewas to raise awareness about breast cancer risk factors and to provide information about behaviors that promote breast health. We wanted to invitefamilies to attend, so we began to promote the event in both the clinics and on our Facebook page at the end of September. As the date of eachevent approached in the month, we posted a reminder on Facebook as well. One mom in our Freehold Clinic asked to sample the parfait. Sheshared that she read the posting on Facebook during her appointment.

The recipe itself was a great hit: strawberry yogurt, granola, and mixed berries went over big! We created a rating scale to record whether or notour families would “Make it Again” (78%) for adults and “Eat it Again” (88.5%) for children. This gave us data to post on Facebook at the month’send.

We hope that posting this kind of peer review on Facebook will motivate other followers to try the recipe at home. To make that even easier forour followers, our Nutrition Educator, Zakiya Stewart, recorded a video to demonstrate how to make the yogurt parfait at home. The video wasuploaded to the VNACJ WIC Facebook page for participants to view at their leisure.

It’s exciting to use technology to communicate with our participants. Tiffany Leroy, Nutritionist on staff in Monmouth County, shares, “I can’talways go in depth with a mom during a clinic visit, but I can send them to our page for more information or a link that may be helpful, sincemany of them use Facebook often. Also, if a mom didn’t visit us in October, she can still go to our page and receive helpful information and learn a new recipe.”

Like us on Facebook @vnacjwicprogram. �

WEST VIRGINIA HAS NEW

NUTRITION EDUCATION COORDINATOR

Emma Walters started with the West VirginiaWIC Program in early September. Her workexperience includes nutrition education in the

Kentucky Education Department with the NutritionEducation and Training (NET) Program. Most of herexperience comes from her time spent with theKentucky Department for Public Health and theLocal Health Department system. She spent about10 years serving local communities in Kentucky as aDietitian with WIC, MCH Nutrition and DiabetesControl Programs. Then she worked at the StateAgency in WIC and MCH Nutrition as NutritionEducation Coordinator. She retired from KentuckyPublic Health in 2009.

From 2009 until December 2014, she volun-teered with church and community organizations in Lexington, KY. Then Emma moved back to herhome state of West Virginia to be with family. This September Emma began a new venture as shejoined the West Virginia WIC Program as NutritionEducation Coordinator. She looks forward to work-ing and serving the WIC Program for years to come. �

NEW JERSEY’S PASSAIC WIC CELEBRATES JERSEY FRESH KICK-OFF

New Jersey’s Passaic WIC staff celebrated the Jersey Fresh Kick-Off campaign onSeptember 26. The theme of the kick-off was “Eat a Tomato.” The staff made t-shirts with the Jersey Fresh logo and brought in tomato-based dishes. They plan to

celebrate “Jersey Tastes” each month by bringing in recipes featuring the produce of themonth. Utah State Dietetic intern Lauren Bladek made a flyer for October/Apple Monthwith information and recipes which were distributed to clients. �

JERSEY FRESH — The Passaic WIC staff is all smiles as they show off their fresh shirts.

KID APPROVED — WIC participant Kamora Hollowayloves her yogurt parfait and votes that she would eat itagain.

FACEBOOK EVENT PROMO — VNACJ WIC uti-lized social media during October to feature ourmonthly food tasting events, where WIC partici-pants sampled yogurt parfaits and learned aboutthe foods and behaviors that promote breasthealth.

11

New Jersey State Department of Health - WICPO Box 364Trenton, NJ 08625-0364

PENNSYLVANIA’S LANCASTER COUNTY WIC PARTNERSWITH WELSH MOUNTAIN HEALTH CENTERS FOR

FRUIT AND VEGGIES MORE MATTERS MONTHBy M. Chaplin Mazzocchi, Outreach CoordinatorCAP of Lancaster County WIC Program

To celebrate Fruitand Veggies MoreMatters Month in

September, Pennsylvania’sLancaster County WICProgram partnered withWelsh Mountain HealthCenters, a FederallyQualified Health Center,and the Nourish Mobileto bring fresh local fruitsand vegetables to fami-lies in the New Hollandarea. The Nourish Mobileis a mobile food market,offering local healthyfresh food for sale to those struggling with food insecurity orwith limited transportation.

There was fresh produce for sale by the Nourish Mobile andfood tastings provided by Lancaster County WIC and WelshMountain Health Centers for the four-hour event. Veggie pin-wheels and corn and zucchini salad were the vegetable-basedtastings. Many expressed disinterest in vegetables but were sur-prised by how much they enjoyed the samples.

The day was a great way to increase awareness of the WICProgram in the area while highlighting the benefits of a diet richin fruits and vegetables. �

The MARWIC TIMES newsletter is now available online at www.nal.usda.gov/wicworks

WEST VIRGINIA’S GRANT COUNTY WIC OFFERS HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE TREAT BAGS

The Grant County WIC Program recentlyparticipated in Trunk-or-Treat sponsoredby WVU Extension Office for children in

Grant County, WV. Various agencies set up theirtrunks and handed out treats on Oct. 31, from 5-7 pm in the Petersburg Extension Office park-ing lot.

Sierra Malcolm, Nutritionist and TanyaWright, Nutrition Aide of the Petersburg WICOffice handed out 250 non-sugary treat gift bags along with "Healthy Foods Coloring Books"to Grant County children.

The healthy alternative treat bags werereceived enthusiastically by all the children that attended. �

VIRGINIA’S BEDFORD COUNTY WIC STAFF RECEIVE APPRECIATION

FLOWERS AND NOTEBy Cordia Frazier, MPH, Central Virginia Health District WIC Coordinator

Michael and CaylinSettje are the parentsof three children, one

boy and two girls, ranging inage from one to four years old.The Settje family enrolled in the Bedford County (VA) WIC when shebecame pregnant with their first child in 2013. She also continued receiv-ing services for her subsequent pregnancies. During her postpartum periodswith each child, her choice was to breastfeed where she received supportfrom WIC staff.

When the family no longer needed WIC services, they sent a beautifulbouquet and heartfelt note to the staff. �

PREP CHEF — Chaplin Mazzocchi prepsa veggie pinwheel for the food tasting.

TRUNK OR TREAT — WICsupplied healthy treats tomore than 250 local children.