As shoppers stockpile groceries, moms have trouble finding WIC items amid coronavirus
Some low-income mothers who rely on a federal program to shop for their children are having trouble finding items such as milk and cheese as others hoard food during the coronavirus pandemic.
Mothers who use the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) have voiced their concerns, and some worry they will not be able to feed their children.
WIC eligible foods include baby food and formula, milk, cheese, cereal, fruits and vegetables, juice, eggs and peanut butter. These are some of the same items other people are stocking up on, which has left WIC shoppers empty-handed when they go grocery shopping.
A 30-year-old Wisconsin mother of two who relies on the program told Buzzfeed News she has struggled to feed her family with shelves cleared.
“Before, I could just pick a store and know there would be no issues getting what we need,” Kelli Sullivan told Buzzfeed News. “Now I have to stop at several stores, often with my kids, hoping to find eggs, bread and cheese.”
A Pennsylvania mother of four told Philadelphia-area publication BillyPenn.com she has gone grocery shopping almost every day since the pandemic reached her area.
“People who can afford it are going in and buying all of these things and leaving nothing for anybody else,” DeSaree Woodall Smalls said.
Items eligible for WIC shoppers are usually identified on shelves and price labels at grocery stores. Nearly 14 million people were eligible to receive WIC benefits in 2016 and 7.6 million people participated in the program , according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Suit Up Maine, a volunteer progressive group, has urged shoppers to avoid purchasing WIC groceries if they do not use the program.
“People who use WIC to feed their kids can’t switch to another brand or kind of food,” the group said in a Twitter post that has more than 26,000 retweets. “If a store runs out of WIC-approved options, they will go home empty-handed.”
Celebrities Kerry Washington and Janelle Monae are among the celebrities who have spoken out about the issue.
States are allowed to apply for waivers that will allow WIC shoppers to purchase another brand when their items are out of stock.
“Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, states can begin submitting waiver requests to allow for additional substitutions, as well,” USDA spokesman Tony Craddock Jr. told Buzzfeed. “USDA is prepared to assist states, as needed, to ensure that WIC participants receive the nutritional support that they need.”
This story was originally published March 24, 2020 at 7:24 AM with the headline "As shoppers stockpile groceries, moms have trouble finding WIC items amid coronavirus."