WIC Voucher Challenges Prevent Many Clients From Redeeming Coupons for Fresh Food - ChampaignUrbana Public Health District Provides Solution
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 4, 2008
Contact
Brandon Meline, Director of Maternal & Child Health
(217) 531-4297 /
Lori A. Holmes, Public Relations
(217) 531-2927
WIC Voucher Challenges Prevent Many Clients From Redeeming Coupons for Fresh Food - ChampaignUrbana Public Health District Provides Solution
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District in Collaboration with the City of Urbana’s “Market at the Square” Provides WIC Clients Convenient On-Site Access to Farm Fresh Fruit & Produce
Champaign, IL – Each year the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) issues approximately $40,000 worth of Farmer’s Market Fruit and Vegetable Vouchers to women and children participating in the Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). In the past few years, close to $15,000 - $20,000 of these vouchers have not been redeemed by local WIC clients, mainly due to access and transportation issues for the clients served by this program.
On Thursday, August 7, 2008 from 9:00am – 1:00pm, CUPHD will be hosting a Farmer’s Market in the parking lot at 201 West Kenyon Road in Champaign. The goal of this Farmers Market is to supply convenient access to a population that is currently in dire need of quality food products, while providing additional support for the farmers of the community. CUPHD has specifically coordinated this event to occur when eligible clients are scheduled to pick up their vouchers. Clients would be able to use their vouchers immediately to purchase healthy fruits and vegetable for their families.
“Many WIC clients face a variety of challenges including but not limited to scheduling and transportation conflicts that make shopping at regularly scheduled Farmers Markets difficult.” said Brandon Meline, Director of Maternal & Child Health Management at CUPHD. “CUPHD in partnership with the City of Urbana’s “Market at the Square”, has chosen to pilot the CUPHD Farmer’s Market program to better meet the needs of these clients. We hope that by providing a “one-stop-shop” here at CUPHD that more clients will take advantage of the benefits of the WIC Farmer’s Market Fruit and Vegetable Vouchers.”
The CUPHD Farmer’s Market is open to all CUPHD clients and the community. CUPHD anticipates that this program will prove successful, and has tentatively entered into discussions with local market managers to expand both the number of vendors and days for next year. CUPHD hopes that in the future, that the Kenyon Road location can become a weekly mid-week Farmer’s Market site, and that many people will be able to “Get Fresh” at CUPHD by “Buying Local and Buying Fresh!”.
For more information on the WIC program or the WIC Farmer’s Market Fruit and Vegetable Vouchers, please contact CUPHD at (217) 531-4305. For information on any of the other programs available at CUPHD please call (217) 352-7961 or visit the CUPHD website at www.c-uphd.org.
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