COVID-19 Impacting Food Supply Chain For Nevada WIC Redemption Participants

LAS VEGAS - Sept. 14, 2020 - PRLog -- Some 4,304 adult Nevada Women, Infants and Children (WIC) participants recently revealed in a survey they are facing challenges redeeming their food benefits from the WIC Program. The survey, conducted by the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health, revealed families were not fully participating for fear of being exposed to the virus when shopping in person at a store.

To combat this crisis, Gov. Steve Sisolak earmarked 3.1 million dollars for emergency delivery services to all Nevada WIC families through Dec. 31, 2020 as a part of the federal government's Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The Division of Public and Behavioral Health thanks Governor Sisolak for prioritizing the needs of Nevada WIC families during these difficult times.

Through a collaborative Partnership with the Nevada WIC Program, Three Square Food Bank will be organizing the delivery of food items to homes of qualified WIC families in Clark County.

Las Vegas Urban League's WIC recipients are encouraged to immediately call one of the Urban League's two Nutrition Education Centers - WIC offices to apply and to make arrangements for home deliveries of food items.

         "We are excited to work with Three Square and eager to get these badly needed food items delivered to WIC families throughout Clark County," Rewina Tsegay, Program Nutritionist with the Las Vegas Urban League Nutrition Education Centers - WIC offices, said. "Our staffs at both offices stand ready to immediately take WIC participants' calls and to arrange for home deliveries of food."

The survey reported 32.9 percent of qualified recipients sometimes redeem their WIC food benefits, 4.4 percent rarely redeem, 5.1 percent never redeem, and 1.6 percent weren't sure if they applied for food.

         According to Feeding America, in Nevada, 1 in 5 adults, and 1 in 3 children are food insecure, meaning they lack reliable access to an adequate quantity of affordable, nutritious foods, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anyone participating in the WIC Program should contact his or her local agency to sign up and receive additional information.

         The Las Vegas Urban League Women, Infants and Children Program is a 501c (3) program funded by the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public and Behavioral Health.

For more information, visit the Urban League WIC website at: www.wiclv.org or their two convenient locations: 6480 W. Flamingo Road, Suite B, Las Vegas, phone (702) 227-1573 or 3320 E. Flamingo Road, Suite 50, Las Vegas, phone (702) 476-9561.