Michigan’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program provides money for basic food items for 239,000 pregnant women and children under age 5. Enrollment is at a record high; more than 6,000 participants have joined since last year, WIC directors said.

Traditionally, the mothers got nutrition counseling along with their food items, and they were advised to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.

But until now, the program didn’t cover those purchases, except for breastfeeding women — who were allowed to buy carrots.

After Congress passed the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, the U.S. Department of Agriculture was required to revise its list of allowed foods for the first time in 30 years.

According to documents the USDA supplied, the act attempted to comprehensively address food programs for kids ranging from school lunches to WIC. It pushed the programs to make the food healthier and more in line with current nutritional guidelines.

In December 2007, the USDA published a new provision for fresh foods that will trickle down to Michigan WIC users next fall.

“That is the best decision they could make. Not only offering fresh produce, but organic, is even better, especially with those families and children that need it most,” said Jean Shepherd of Muskegon, 35 and pregnant. She applied for WIC earlier this year after she lost her $60,000-a-year job as a finance manager. She works part-time as an independent insurance agent and does bartending at weddings.

“My major medical insurance did not cover pregnancies and birth, the economy got worse, interviewing for new jobs has failed over the past year, and I found myself needing help that I thought I would never need,” Shepherd said.

James McCurtis Jr., spokesman for the Michigan Department of Community Health, said some families will start receiving a monthly fresh produce allowance of $6 per child and $8 to $10 per mother in September.

The new allowance will let all Michigan WIC participants choose organic foods for the first time. Right now, the program won’t let them buy organic food — even if the price is the same or lower than other items.

“Price is definitely a factor,” said Stan Vien, WIC division director for the Michigan Department of Community Health. Organics can run anywhere from 25% to 40% more, Vien said. “That’s less food dollars available to feed our clients.”

Other food programs, such as Michigan’s Food Assistance Program (food stamps) and even WIC’s Project FRESH arrangement with Michigan farmers’ markets, typically permit participants to buy some organic products, but not every WIC member belongs.

The state program’s annual budget for food is about $179 million, and the average participant spends about $63 a month.

There’s no tally of how many states allow organic foods in their WIC programs, but in the Midwest, Illinois is the most lenient. It lets mothers purchase everything but organic juices and cereals if the prices are competitive.

Sales of organic foods have boomed in this country over the last two decades. Organics rose from a $1-billion-a-year business in 1990 to a projected $23.6 billion this year, according to the Organic Trade Association.

Locally, Meijer stores released a full line of more than 200 house-brand organic products last year, and Whole Foods opened its fifth area store last month in Ann Arbor.

Frank Guglielmi, public relations director for Meijer, said it has been offering some organic options that are cheaper than conventional foods. Recently, for example, an 18-ounce jar of Jif peanut butter (allowed under WIC) sold for $3.09; the Meijer Organics brand sold for $2.59.

But Michigan’s WIC program is accepted at 2,000 stores statewide, said Diane Revitte, director of nutrition programs and the evaluation section of WIC. She noted that the state has to pay the prices set by every one of those shops. Many stores aren’t as reasonable for organic foods, she said.

Teri VanHall of Spring Lake, 33, is a single parent of two and works construction jobs. She was on WIC five years ago, until her children passed the 5-year-old age limit. “I was not allowed to use it to purchase fresh, local or organically produced foods,” she said.

She was frustrated by her cereal choices, for example. Most of them were sweetened.

“I’m very aware of the links between nutrition and health,” VanHall said. “Most health problems can be prevented with proper nutrition. As a low-income family, proper nutrition is the only health insurance we can afford.”

The new vegetable and fruit allotment is a great idea, she said. “Hopefully, it is a step towards not only allowing the organic option with fruits and veggies, but with all WIC purchases.”

-Detroit Free Press, December 4, 2008

As we know, the food drive is about more than collecting cans. Relational and community stories abound. Here are just a few highlights:

- A 90-year-old volunteer at a sorting site was asked if he was ready to go home after working for several hours. He said ” Oh no, this is the best thing I do all year!” At the same site, a 7-year-old boy came up to ACCESS staff and said “thank you for inviting me”.

- From a canvasser: ” I like doing this - I take the same route every year and am getting to know my neighbors better”.

- A brand-new volunteer: “I was walking down the street (in a low-income neighborhood) and saw 4 or 5 little kids playing in the front yard. Their mom was watching them from the doorway. I was tempted to walk by because they looked like they needed the food. But I realized I needed to give everyone equal opportunity to give. I went to the door and told her I was here for the food drive. She said “Oh yes, wait a moment - I forgot!” . I heard her go through her cupboards and she came out with two heavy grocery bags. As I walked passed her kids, I was both heart-broken and heart-warmed. Heart-broken that it seemed I was taking food from her kids. Heart-warmed because she was so eager to share what she could.”

- A reporter from a major radio program that asked “How do people stay involved after the food drive?”

- A volunteer who said “I can’t write a check but I can give my time to work.”

- A volunteer working at one of the Spartan Stores was approached by the owner of a large local business who asked how her business could get more involved in addressing hunger in our community.

- A new ACCESS Board member reports: “My husband and I really enjoyed the Food Drive on Saturday. This was the first time for both of us but we will be back again for sure! The organization was excellent! Thanks for providing us the opportunity!

Grace Reformed OR Faith Lutheran
3330 Burlingame SW 2740 Fuller NE

SORTERS are needed to sort and pack food at:

Faith Lutheran
2740 Fuller NE

Grace Reformed
3330 Burlingame

John Knox Presbyterian
4150 Kalamazoo SE

North Kent Service Center
10076 Northland Dr.,
Rockford

Plainfield UMC
214 Spencer NE

SECOM
1545 Buchanan SW

St. Peter & Paul RCC
520 Myrtle NW

Westminster Presbyterian
47 Jefferson SE

DONATE!!

We need people in the greater Grand Rapids area to donate food on October 11th. Put your food in a bag on your porch in the following zip codes: 49503, 49504, 49505, 49506, 49507, 49508, 49509, 49548, and 49519 at 9am on Saturday.

OR

You can bring your food to any D&W and Family Fare store this week!

The purpose of the Food Stamp Challenge is to:

Increase public awareness of the challenges and perceptions of participants in the food stamp program.
Increase monetary and food donations to Michigan food banks.
Increase the number of volunteers for Michigan soup kitchens.
Obtain a first-hand experience of eating at a soup kitchen and hearing the challenges of Michigan citizens.
The federal Food Stamp Program helps more than 26 million low-income people purchase food for themselves and their families, including nearly 600,000 Michigan residents. The program is designed as a safety net to help ensure people have access to food during difficult economic times. The majority of the recipients leave the program within nine months. More than half of food stamp recipients are children and eight percent are over 60 years of age.

The Voices for Action Network is requesting leaders all across Michigan to sign up and take the food stamp challenge from Monday Oct. 13, 2008, through Friday, Oct. 17, 2008. By accepting the challenge, you are making the following commitments:

Spend a total of $29.35 (average of $5.87 per day) for food and non-alcoholic beverages, including purchased meals, during the challenge. (You are unable to purchase alcohol in the food stamp program.)
Keep track of receipts on food spending and take note of your experiences throughout the five days.
Optional Commitments

Donate food and/or money to a food bank in Michigan.
Sign up to volunteer and volunteer at a soup kitchen in Michigan before Dec. 31, 2008.
Eat at a soup kitchen, does not account against your allotment, in Michigan.
To find the locations of the closest food bank or free meal site, follow this link to the Michigan Food Bank Council’s county-by-county listing for food resources.

If you’re interested in showing your support for the Food Stamp Challenge, please complete this Pledge Form and return via email at voices4action@michigan.govor via fax at 517-241-8390. Participants are encouraged to share their experiences through the Michigan Food Stamp Challenge Blog.

http://www.michigan.gov/poverty/0,1607,7-253–193569–,00.html