We chose to take our This is Public Health picture at the WIC office. The office is located within the University Community Resource Center off of Fletcher Ave and 22nd Ave in Tampa. We chose this location because it is set in the perfect environment, in the center of a poverty stricken neighborhood and close to the university. The WIC program (Women Infants and Children) is a very important program from a public health stand point. WIC provides food and nutritional education, breast feeding support and health care referrals for eligible women, new mothers, infants and children under 5 years old. Eligibility depends on income level and nutritional need. The main goal of WIC is to improve health and educate people about nutrition and eating properly for growth. The purpose of this education is to establish constructive habits that can be followed once the WIC services expire. WIC provides free classes on nutrition and one on one counseling about personal nutrition. It is a preventative step that starts pregnant mothers eating healthy and receiving a good education about nutrition before they hace a baby. Having proper nutrition while pregnant can help to prevent medical problems which in turn reduces the amount of medical care each mother and baby require. The program also offers immunizations to prevent diseases among new born babaies. WIC is important because they aim to prevent malnutrition and starvation among families who cannot afford to eat nutritiously. While precenting these serious issues they also aim to promote a sense of how to spend money on food that people will take with them and continue to follow after they leave the program. By providing people with the necessary tools, WIC contributes to the overall well-being of the community. Jessica Kelso
Allie Lovelace
Kaitly Erickson
Sara Lopez
I really identify with this blog because I have two older sisters that were at one point using the WIC program. It is a great program for women and children and allowed for both of my sisters to provide necessities for my niece and nephew when they were single parents trying to make it on their own. I think that this program Is essential in helping pregnant women provide a healthy start to their babies lives. I know that the benefits my sisters received from this program provided them with peace of mind when it came time to take care of their new babies. Also having the the guidance on what to purchase at the store was helpful for them both. Receiving their WIC checks and having the assistance they needed to purchase milk and diapers and healthy foods was monumental in their success as single mothers. Even with the help and support of our family, the assistance they received from WIC gave more support and education to help them make the right nutritional decisions for themselves and their babies. This is definitely public health and a very important part of public health that sometimes goes unnoticed.
ReplyDeleteI think the WIC program is a wonderful program for low income women. Unlike food stamps that allow you to purchase empty caloried junk food(because that is the cheapest food in the store to purchase), WIC only allows 100% juice, wheat or whole grain cereals, fat free milk, beans, and many more healthy food options. It shows women the right foods to be buying for their families, and gives the children the essentials to start life out right. Parents aren’t given any type of book or guideline when a child is born to tell us what to buy, and feed them other than milk; they learn through family members (which could be bad advice at times) or education, and if they don’t have either, than what next? I think this is a great picture of public health.
ReplyDeleteWIC is a very beneficial program targeted for lower income women and their families. I have both family members and friends who are a part of the WIC program and they greatly appreciate what the program offers. I was not aware of the different services WIC provided (such as classes on nutrition, immunization, counseling etc.) until I read this blog and personally I am impressed! Those classes are a great way to get women (specifically teens) to realize how important proper nutrition, health, and prenatal care is. Moreover, this is a great example of Public Health, the program help assist these women and their families with the essential of life!
ReplyDeleteI also can identify with this post because i currently am on the WIC program for my daughter and I. It is very helpful in the since of I am a college student and can receive various nutritional foods for no cost at all. I feel that this program helps many women who do not have the means of receiving the foods and other healthy things on their own. Another way that the WIC program helped me was by providing me with their breastfeeding classes. They really strive to give the baby the best nutrition a mother can give, which is by breastfeeding. I wouldn't have known half of the things i do now about babies and nutrition if it was not for the WIC program.
ReplyDeleteWIC is an awesome program for new parents! I remember having a child at 18 y.o. and I had no idea how to properly feed her or had the means to pay for the food. They were so helpful and informative. They taught me how and what I should feed to my newborn and gave me a card that paid for all the necessary nutritional food at the super market. We were really poor but my family never missed a meal and my daughter grew up healthy.
ReplyDeleteAside from poverty stricken areans, WIC can also help many families that may not know they ever qualify for WIC assistance. I would like to see a public knowledge and marketing campaign for WIC. This would get the word out about WIC's valuable services for those who may not know they qualify.
ReplyDeleteWIC is a great program for new mothers. I used WIC myself when my son was born. Not only do they provide the right kind of nutrition for you and your baby but they educate you also. They helped me with breatfeeding and by telling me the right kind of foods to put in my body in order to keep my baby healthy. A lot of young mothers and/or financially struggling moms benefit a lot from this program.
ReplyDeleteThe WIC program is an awesome topic for public health. My goal with majoring in public health is to specialize in Maternal and Infant Nutrition. WIC is such a good program because it not only aids families that are in need, but it also educates first new mothers on so many nutritional topics such as breastfeeding. I am a huge advocate for breastfeeding at least 6 months or until the body allows. Many women in today's society do not breastfeed due to the time commitment as well as feeling "ashamed" of breastfeeding in public. They are not aware that breastfeeding is natural and the body knows exactly what the baby needs in the first few months of life. I really enjoyed this public health topic and feel like it should be spoken about more often.
ReplyDeletePrevilean.com provides healthy eating weight loss plan tips for you if you want to lose weight naturally, or are already eating healthy to lose weight.
ReplyDeletePersonal Nutrition Plans