News Release - County Transitions to eWIC Cards

News Release - County Transitions to eWIC Cards

Release Date: 2/11/2016

Beginning next week, 2,593 families in Deschutes County will start transitioning to be able to shop for WIC food benefits using an EBT (electronic benefit transaction) card.

Currently, participants of WIC, a program of the Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division, use paper vouchers to buy WIC-approved foods. Now, with this new card, shopping will be easier and WIC families will be able to better track their monthly food balance.

Participants will also have access to a new WICShopper Smart Phone App, which will allow them to scan a food’s bar code to determine if it is a WIC allowed food.

 “We’re so excited to offer a new, convenient way for our families to shop,” said Laura Spaulding, Deschutes County WIC Coordinator. “With these new options, accessing and tracking benefits will be easy.”

In Deschutes County, WIC serves more than 3,330 women, infants and children. In 2014, these families spent more than $2.4 million at local WIC stores and farmers markets on healthy foods.

WIC provides services at over 100 clinic sites throughout Oregon and serves 161 thousand lower-income pregnant women, infants and children under age 5. These WIC families shop at more than 500 Oregon grocery stores, pharmacies, farm stands and farmers markets, and spend $64.7 million a year with their WIC food benefits.

WIC has been offering participant-centered nutrition education, healthy food, breastfeeding support and has been serving as a gateway for preventative health for more than 40 years.

Deschutes County WIC has appointment openings at clinic sites in Bend, La Pine, Redmond and Sisters. For more information about WIC, visit HERE or call 541-322-7400.

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