SEDALIA — An additional WIC clinic will open in La Monte next month under the direction of the Pettis County Health Center.
The new clinic will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month, starting on Feb. 7. WIC, which stands for Women, Infants, and Children, is a unique supplemental nutrition program providing services to pregnant women, new mothers, infants and children up to their fifth birthday based on nutritional risk and income eligibility.
On Thursday morning, Jan. 25, Lindsey Curry, PCHC WIC nutrition coordinator, and Malinda Nevels, PCHC administrator, spoke to the Sedalia Democrat about the new clinic.
"We decided to start our clinic there to expand our WIC services," Curry noted. "The site at La Monte was selected as an initial place to offer our WIC services to citizens who reside in the county.
"It may take a few months for WIC clients to get used to a new clinic and to spread the word about this site," she continued. "We are reaching out to those in the community and sharing the dates we will be there. So, they can get used to the conveniences of services closer to where they live."
WIC provides healthy, supplemental food, risk assessment, nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding promotion and support, health screening, and referrals to health care. To be eligible for WIC, applicants must have an income of less than or equal to 185% of the poverty level and be at nutritional risk. Migrant families are also eligible.
Nevels said WIC is a USDA-sponsored program.
"It's good nutrition based on individuality," she added. "Because what they do is look at, is the mom pregnant, is the mom breastfeeding, is the mom bottle feeding, with the nutritional needs and categories. And also at the children's ages — it's very specific."
WIC supplemental food packages are specially chosen to provide foods high in protein, iron, calcium, and vitamins A and C. Eligible women and children receive fortified milk and cheese, eggs, whole grain bread products, hot or cold cereals, 100% fruit juices, and fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables.
Curry and Nevels noted that PCHC saw a need in the county and wanted to make WIC services more convenient for clients.
"For the past few years, we have seen La Monte residents who have taken advantage and come to our office (in Sedalia)," she noted. "And with needing to expand out into the county, we see it as a need because they are a very kind, compassionate community.
"They have several people who come here on WIC," she continued. "And we thought it would be easier for them and their families if we made the effort."
She added that families share vehicles in some of the surrounding communities, including La Monte, and opening the new clinic will save them from driving to Sedalia for services.
"It's a convenience for them," Nevels said. "Then if we have two people traveling there, that's better than multiple families coming here if the weather's bad."
Curry added the La Monte location is almost halfway between the Sedalia and Warrensburg WIC offices.
"The clients in Hughesville, Houstonia, Green Ridge, and Sweet Springs can also come to that La Monte satellite clinic," she noted.
The Pettis County WIC program is "breastfeeding friendly," and the staff are involved in the Baby Café at Bothwell Regional Health Center. Baby Café is for all mothers and babies in the community who wish to come in with questions, have their babies weighed, or if they want to talk with other breastfeeding moms as a support group.
The WIC program recommends breastfeeding and provides breastfeeding support, baby foods, and infant cereal. Infants may receive supplemental, iron-fortified formula for women who cannot or choose not to breastfeed. WIC participants also obtain food using their eWIC cards for specific items at participating local grocery stores and pharmacies.
"WIC is such a good program, and it's been here for so many years," Nevels noted. "It's part of Pettis County Health Center, and we're proud of WIC.
"And having this outlying clinic has been something we've looked at and talked about for the past two to three years," she continued. "But it just recently got pushed forward, from October till now. It's really gotten pushed out pretty quickly."
She added opening the new clinic was made possible due to the teamwork of the PCHC staff.
The new WIC clinic opens on the first Wednesday of the month and is located inside La Monte City Hall, 110 E. Pine St. in La Monte. Those interested in scheduling an appointment may call 660-827-4599.
Faith Bemiss McKinney can be reached at 660-530-0289.
