Have you heard about WIC?  WIC stands for “Women, Infants, and Children” and is a federally funded program that provides nutrition education and nutritious foods to supplement the diets of pregnant women and young children.  WIC benefits provide families with a wide variety of foods such as:

• Cold and hot cereals
• Bread or tortillas, rice or pasta
• Fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables
• Canned fish, like tuna and salmon
• Juice
• Milk, yogurt, and cheese
• Eggs
• Beans & peanut butter
• Baby food and formula

In addition to providing vouchers to purchase food, WIC also provides support and education about breastfeeding and sometimes breast pumps for mothers who qualify. 

Did you know? An employer is required by law to provide reasonable break times and a private place for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for one year after the child’s birth. 

In Oklahoma, if you are pregnant and qualify for SoonerCare (Oklahoma’s Health Care), then you automatically qualify for WIC.  It’s easy to sign up!  Just call your local WIC office and make an appointment.  You will need to bring your ID with you and may need to show proof of your income (last paystub) and address (utility bill works for this!).  For a list of WIC offices in Oklahoma, visit: https://www.ok.gov/health/Family_Health/WIC/How_Can_I_Get_WIC/index.html  In Garfield County, the WIC office is located in the Health Department at 2501 Mercer Drive in Enid, OK.  Call (580) 249-5999 to make an appointment.

Hope Outreach’s Parenting Ministry offers mentoring and support through a great “Earn While You Learn” program.  It’s free and easy to sign up.  Stop by and pick up an application (815 W. Broadway, Enid) and make an appointment for a brief interview.  Once accepted into the program, mentors meet with you weekly and you earn “credits” to spend in the store (double if both parents attend classes!).  The store on Broadway is filled with new & “gently used” items for both mom and baby, everything from maternity clothes, infant and toddler clothes, diapers, cribs, toys, and other necessities.  If you have any questions, call (580) 237-2292.

Embrace Grace is a support group for pregnant, single moms.  These support groups are smaller, with a maximum of five participants per group.  The groups are hosted by churches in Garfield County and participants who complete the classes are gifted with a baby shower!  Contact Journey House for more information about a group near you.

You may already know that Journey House offers free pregnancy services, but did you know we also offer one-on-one mentoring, support groups for women, information and connections to resources in our community, and post-abortive support?  If you are struggling, or if you just need someone to talk to, we are here for you.  We listen without judgement and love without agenda.  No need to make an appointment!  Just stop by during open hours.