Gave up on WIC -vent

Mama Bear

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 2:42 pm

Sigh. I have thrown out so much peanut butter, bread, and cheese, it is such baal tashchis. all because I need the cereal, eggs, and milk that are part of the check and I have to take the entire check.

BinahYeteirah

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 2:47 pm

HindaRochel wrote:

Do you live in a small area? I think you mentioned it somewhere but I forget.

I know WIC, section 8 housing etc. etc. work better in some areas then others. I am guessing that they work better in a smaller area, but that is a guess. I would be interested in seeing a study on the issue.

I live in a city in Ohio. It's not much smaller than Albany, NY, which is where the OP lives.

Tova

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 2:53 pm

I don't qualify for WIC, but right now in my house I have:

- 2 gallons of milk in the freezer
- a few cans of soy Enfamil formula (my kids always had milk-based; don't know why I agreed to take it)
- several cases of baby food applesauce and carrots

that I got from friends/ neighbors/ babysitters on WIC.

It is a shame that so much goes to waste.

HindaRochel

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 2:54 pm

BinahYeteirah wrote:

HindaRochel wrote:

I live in a city in Ohio. It's not much smaller than Albany, NY, which is where the OP lives.

Ah...I'm a Cincy girl...So I wonder if your experience is the same all over Ohio, or unique to your city, or what...

Ima2NYM_LTR

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 3:41 pm

Marina, you are right. I am not forced to participate. Which is why, as of today (if you read the title of the thread) I stopped using it. I was venting about my frustrations that I was denied the right to use a check over 1.7oz of PB.

I was actually told by a WIC employee the other day that if there is a check that I dont need anything on, I should still buy the stuff and give it away to someone else, or just donate it to WIC to give to the needy, because the more WIC participants spend, the more the government gives that WIC office/area

gold21

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 4:17 pm

marina, I disagree with your point of view. rebecca, you dont need to go to a jewish store, in my opinion: just go to a little non-jewish grocery that carries some kosher items. I think that most little stores are more flexible with WIC than a store like walmart. good luck!

marina

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 4:25 pm

Okay OP. I spoke to one of the Albany WIC offices just now. If you do not want a certain food item on your check, you need to have your intake person change the check. You make a special appointment, you explain your situation and they will take out whatever you don't need and substitute something else instead. So if you don't want OJ or babyfood, let the worker know and she will switch it out and get you new checks. I specifically asked about PB allergy and she said, like I thought she would, that they would subsitute dried beans for that.

As for prettyone and the other assumers, our family was on WIC for about 2-3 years about 10-8 years ago.

We lived waaaay "out of town" and I went through the same process. I wrote letters and made appointments and whatever and even got the WIC office to issue checks to me for cholov yisroel milk, although that took a while. Thankfully, we are no longer needing these services, but there is really no need to get all annoyed with a government program just b/c they do not meet your specific requirements. If I had not been able to get CY milk and cheese ( which is much more expensive than regular kind), I would have just been grateful for whatever I did get that I could use.

amother

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 5:01 pm

By us, the wic checks are made out to a specific store. I am pregnant and eligible for wic, but dont want to sign up cuz if I go to the kosher store with wic checks, the owner will now know im preggy, his bookeeper will also, and anybody else in the store when I use them. So I figure that about 3 days after using my first wic check, the whole (small) town will know my condition. and I'm not ready to spread the news yet. Ive been thinking about having the checks made out for the local supermarket, but then I'll feel guilty not giving the $$ to the kosher store. so I am procrstinating.

never had a problem when I used to use the though.

bnm

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 5:42 pm

I don't get milk on my checks, I'm in Brooklyn. I explained to them that we are allergic, first they gave it to me anyway and now they stopped. you can get beans instead of peanut butter, you get a choice between dried and canned... the canned worked wonderfully in my chulent.

Barbara

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 5:50 pm

BinahYeteirah wrote:

Barbara wrote:

OTOH, the purpose of WIC is to ensure that young children who are at risk are able to receive proper nutrition. Allowing families to pick and choose what they receive doesn't meet that goal.

Why not? Isn't it better that a child eats the WIC cereal and milk, even if his family chooses not to get the peanut butter, than not have cereal, milk, and peanut butter all together?

WIC is a *nanny state* program. Its not just for families that *can't afford* food. That would be food stamps. Its a program that considers the basic nutritional needs of families, and tries to meet them (in a very very basic way). So they think that you should drink X gallons of milk per month, and darn it, you need that milk. Because they're afraid that otherwise you'll be giving the kids soda or beer. So they more or less coerce you to take it so that the nutrition is available in the home.

The fact is, there's many a WIC recipient as to whom that's a good thing.

I'd suggest donating to a soup kitchen if you don't need the items.

Ima2NYM_LTR

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 5:55 pm

Marina, thanks for checking for me.

Actually, I called them up with the same question after my second week and they told me they could change around my checks- when I came back after 3 months! I was very frustrated last week and called again and they said the first person was wrong, and I could go in right away. So I did, and I changed my checks.
And then I had the issue today, where the store would not let me use that one check (and I did want the PB) because the amount of the jar was 1.7 oz under what the check said. When I spoke to WIC later, they said I should have been given the PB.
Bottom line is it is too much of a hassle and I have already turned in my card.

NotInNJMommy

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 6:16 pm

I heard that if the size is not available, they will cover that amount made up of smaller sizes (ie. no 18 oz, then 2 - 9 oz (if there is sucha thing, this is just for #'s). If there's only 13oz, then they'll only cover 1 container, not a fraction of the cost of another container.

This was in NJ though.

Mama Bear

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 6:32 pm

I am actually happy that they started giving beans and brown rice. I started making a lot of dishes with brown rice, and I have beans for my cholent. we also go through a lot of cornflakes and cheerios and eggs. only the cheese is too much; we dont eat 1/2 as much cheese as they give.

amother

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 6:54 pm

Mama Bear wrote:

I asked the manager of my wic office (NYS) and was told it is NOT illegal to pass up the food. They are not here to give money, they are here to distribute nutritious food to society, So if MB, you don't need it, pls don't throw it away. There is always a larger, needy family for whom wic checks aren't enough that can use all those food. Ask around.

Marigold

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 6:57 pm

Mama Bear wrote:

And we eat 4x as much cheese as they give; my neighbors enjoy my boxes of cereal.
(maybe we can swap? Smile

)

amother

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 7:00 pm

Mama Bear wrote:

Pizza bread? That's what we do.

Twizzlers

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 7:40 pm

Mama Bear wrote:

I dont get it. in williamsburg of all places they dont have food gemachs for people who cant afford? and no neighbors who would want it? why in heavens would it have to come down to dumping stuff like that?