If a store is out of WIC-approved milk, shoppers using benefits will either have to forgo buying milk or try their luck at a different store where they could just encounter the same problem all over again.Īpproximately 6.8 million women and children utilize WIC services each month nationwide, according to the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) food and nutrition services website. Unfortunately, families using WIC benefits to purchase necessities don't have that privilege. Maybe you prefer one specific organic milk brand, but will settle for store-brand skim over no milk at all. With grocery store shelves increasingly empty due to Americans stocking up on everyday essentials because of the coronavirus pandemic, some shoppers may find themselves buying brands that differ from what they get on a typical weekly grocery run.

How would that make you feel? Pretty terrible, right? This is the unfortunate reality for many people who depend on WIC benefits to feed their families. And, oh by the way, all of that peanut butter is currently sold out. Now, imagine seeing shelves lined with several peanut butter options, but being told your form of payment only covers one specific type of peanut butter. Think about it this way: Have you ever experienced frustration when your local supermarket is out of your preferred brand of peanut butter? The horror! How dare they be out of the brand that you like best? This thought process is a privilege, friends. The post includes a photo of a WIC emblem on a grocery store shelf price tag for cereal and reminds shoppers that when a store runs out of WIC-approved items, families who use WIC benefits can't simply switch to another brand. Once the store is out of that item, shoppers with WIC don't have another option.Ī Facebook post by author Molly Cantrell King that highlights the importance of not purchasing WIC-approved items has been shared nearly 5,000 times. So where some shoppers can choose a different brand of oatmeal or cereal if their preferred brand is out of stock, families with WIC benefits must purchase only items with the WIC symbol on the store price tag. The federal program supports the nutritional needs of low-income families nationwide, but only allows for certain types of foods to be purchased with its benefits.

Have you ever noticed a little red emblem on some price tags on grocery store shelves that reads 'WIC'? This tiny symbol signifies items eligible for purchase with benefits from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). One choice you can make that will make a big difference is to leave the WIC-approved foods on the shelf when stocking up. As you head to the grocery stores in coming days to buy essentials during the coronavirus pandemic, you'll be faced with choices about what to buy as store shelves empty.

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