Gave up on WIC -vent

Tova

Wed, Apr 21 2010, 2:30 pm

BinahYeteirah wrote:

Hmmm, it sounds like you get a little more in general, but I don't know the amounts. My kids on WIC each get:

4 gallons milk
Cereal - up to 36 oz. (This is 2 large boxes of the kind I buy.)
1 jar of peanut butter or beans (1 lb. dried or some amount of canned)
1 doz. large eggs
Juice (1 or 2 cans frozen or 1 or 2 bottles, depending on the age of the child)
Whole grains - 16 or 32 oz. depending on the age of the child (This can be brown rice, oatmeal, bread, or tortillas, but the allowed brands are not kosher for us, except the rice and oatmeal.)
$6 worth of produce

Interesting.

Is that per month? Per week? I am clueless how WIC works.

yo'ma

Wed, Apr 21 2010, 2:34 pm

Wow, what you can get on wic now is amazing. The last time I got wic was about 5 years ago and I don't remember getting that many things. The reason why I used to go on it anyway was for the formula.

Hashem_Yaazor

Wed, Apr 21 2010, 2:42 pm

One of the reasons I'm not on WIC is that I don't think it will save me all that much...
I can't buy cereal most of the year, most of the things they give aren't that nutritious (fresh produce is new), beans barely cost me anything, I don't let my children fill up on milk (we have had problems with iron-absorption and anemia), peanut butter isn't even allowed as a school lunch, juice is not a staple, etc.
For me to take off of work for WIC costs money, and the time spent with WIC checks at the counter also adds up (I hate waiting in line behind someone with WIC checks; it goes so much longer).

BinahYeteirah

Wed, Apr 21 2010, 2:45 pm

Tova wrote:

BinahYeteirah wrote:

Is that per month? Per week? I am clueless how WIC works.

Per month, per child. My 2-year-old gets the smaller amounts of juice and whole grains, and my 4-year-old gets the larger amounts. Pregnant and nursing moms (for the first year, I think) get similar foods, in slightly larger quantities for some foods, but I am not sure what exactly.

BinahYeteirah

Wed, Apr 21 2010, 2:49 pm

yo'ma wrote:

Wow, what you can get on wic now is amazing. The last time I got wic was about 5 years ago and I don't remember getting that many things. The reason why I used to go on it anyway was for the formula.

I've never had a young baby on WIC, but I think the babies just get formula for the first few months, then they add the baby food jars and baby cereal. I am not sure when they add the regular food. I imagine the formula is worth a lot more that the foods I listed. Breastfeeding mothers can get food, though, when they don't need formula or only a little formula or something like that. I don't know really, since I have never had a baby under one year on it.

chaylizi

Wed, Apr 21 2010, 2:58 pm

amother wrote:

Mama Bear wrote:

he's in cheder pretty much every day of the year, bar erev yomtov and chol hamoed. But it's not a bad idea to get one.

At my last recert, I mentioned to the manager that I would like to increase my milk and decrease the cheese. She said it doesn't work this way. So I said, you know what, big deal, I'll make more pizza sandwiches. She then patted my back and said, you see, that's what wic is all about. It is not a money distribution program, we aren't giving you money, we're giving you nutritious food. And you should find creative ways to use it.

I hate when people feel the need to be condescending.

shanie5

Wed, Apr 21 2010, 3:42 pm

What is given on wic is also tied to farm subsidies-or so I heard. the govt 'buys' milk from farmers, and this is then given over to the wic recipient. milk=milk and cheese, grains-rice & cereal etc.

BinahYeteirah

Wed, Apr 21 2010, 3:49 pm

shanie5 wrote:

What is given on wic is also tied to farm subsidies-or so I heard. the govt 'buys' milk from farmers, and this is then given over to the wic recipient. milk=milk and cheese, grains-rice & cereal etc.

It's true. I remember as a child, we sometimes received food products directly from government programs (not sure if it was WIC or foodstamps or what), in generic packaging. This is the origin of the the term "government cheese".

See the following for more info.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.....heese

sky

Wed, Apr 21 2010, 6:39 pm

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

I know here some of the cereals on the list are corn based and not a problem with yoshon, if that is the reason for not taking the cereal.

BinahYeteirah

Wed, Apr 21 2010, 7:39 pm

No. WIC (stands for "Women, Infants, and Children") is a nutritional program pregnant, postpartum, and nursing women and children aged four and under. In order to qualify, participants must live below 185% of the poverty level and have some kind of nutritional risk or need for nutritional counseling (In my experience, nearly everyone who meets the income guidelines is approved; the WIC workers come up with reasons why a particular family is "at risk".). WIC provides coupons/checks good for certain types of nutritious foods, such as formula, milk, juice, cereal, and produce.

Food stamps (now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP) is a program for people who make income up to 130% of the poverty level gross and/or up to 100% of the poverty level net. There is also an assets test (usually, participants may not have more than $2000 or $3000 in assets, with certain exclusions). Some states also have work requirements. SNAP provides funds that can be used to buy groceries.

Hashem_Yaazor

Wed, Apr 21 2010, 10:05 pm

sky wrote:

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

I know here some of the cereals on the list are corn based and not a problem with yoshon, if that is the reason for not taking the cereal.

Some cereals that you think might not be problematic because they don't have wheat, can still have a problem with barley/malt.

sky

Thu, Apr 22 2010, 10:18 am

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

sky wrote:

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

I know here some of the cereals on the list are corn based and not a problem with yoshon, if that is the reason for not taking the cereal.

Some cereals that you think might not be problematic because they don't have wheat, can still have a problem with barley/malt.

Right, I don't check the malt, I forgot that some do.

small bean

Thu, Apr 22 2010, 11:46 am

I didnt read the whole thread - just the first few posts.

the reason WIC wants you to get everything is because they get a percentage of the amount of funding they get. so wic in NY gets I think 7%, and that is used for salaries, the more ppl on wic, the more you take from wic, the more $$$ they make.....

nj used to have the same rule and it was stopped years back.

mom21n2

Thu, Apr 22 2010, 12:07 pm

Barbara wrote:

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

Absolutely! There's a place on Ave K (at Nostrand) in Brooklyn that will take whatever you don't want!

amother

Thu, Apr 22 2010, 12:17 pm

small bean wrote:

Abee geredt.

They don't get "more" by being pushy. They are trying to promote nutritional food. Each sponsor has a right to decide their contribution and what strings to attach to it, as does Feter Shmuel, (uncle sam).

Lets say it once more, NOONE IS ASKED TO BE ON WIC. But if you are, they want to use all the food.

superjew

Thu, Apr 22 2010, 12:18 pm

OMG, I could've written that post myself... We hate it!! Its helpful for the things we need but honestly?!?! I MUST get beans and I never eat home Shabbos so I have a TON of packs of beans in my closet, hoping one day to make a huge cholent party!

They dont even realize that its a bigger waste of $$ because a lot of stuff aren't needed/used!!

Stupid government. Rolling Eyes

small bean

Thu, Apr 22 2010, 12:36 pm

amother - do research on how the funding works for each program.... in nj wic administration gets 10% of the amount of funding...

the ppl who work for wic get paid....

Mama Bear

Thu, Apr 22 2010, 12:44 pm

mom21n2 wrote:

Barbara wrote:

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

Absolutely! There's a place on Ave K (at Nostrand) in Brooklyn that will take whatever you don't want!

avenue k and nostrand may as well be on mars. it's nowhere near to where I live.