The Benton County Women, Infants, and Children program will celebrate 50 years of Oregon’s WIC special supplemental nutrition program at the Corvallis Community Center from noon-4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31. Clients and families served by the program, community partners and the public are all invited to attend the free event.
The celebration coincides with World Breastfeeding Day and National Breastfeeding Month, both aimed at raising awareness about breast/chestfeeding inequalities, promoting and supporting breast/chestfeeding, and uplifting those who breast/chestfeed.
Breast/chestfeeding support is one of the four pillars of services that WIC provides. WIC offers health and nutrition support through participant-centered counseling and group education.
“If there are special needs or considerations for a client regarding their nutrition during pregnancy or for their baby or child, our staff go the extra mile to find the most up to date information to ensure the client receives the best possible service,” Benton County WIC Program Manager Barbara Christianson said through a press release.
Oregon WIC opened in April 1974. In its first year of services, Oregon WIC supported 2,500 women, infants and children within five pilot programs. Last year, more than 114,000 participants were served in 36 Oregon counties.
“The people that serve WIC clients are also serving our entire community,” Christianson said. “When we take every action possible to make sure infants, children, and people have access to food, nutritional information, and resources — we are making it more possible to have a healthy community for generations.”
The community is invited to join the celebration at 2601 NW Tyler St., in Corvallis to meet the staff and enjoy free food, music, prizes and a resource fair.
For more information about Benton County WIC, visit the program’s website or call or text 541-766-6812.