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Talking about WIC

WIC serves millions of participants across the country and meets a critical need, but it’s sometimes hard to communicate the value of the program to the public and policymakers. WIC staff, researchers, and participants can play a role in informing others about WIC, elevating and amplifying WIC’s achievements, defending WIC when it is under attack, clearing up misconceptions, and building consensus for projects and initiatives that could expand the reach of WIC. It is important to tailor messages to your audience’s interests and values. Here you will find some guidance on speaking about WIC in general and how to speak directly to specific audiences. Feel free to take these messages and personalize and adapt them for specific needs.

Not sure where to start? Here is some general WIC messaging to work with and personalize.

 

Basic Message About WIC

This statement explains what WIC is and what makes WIC unique in a straightforward but evocative way. It should be used as a spin-off at the end of a press release or other public statement.

WIC is the nation’s most successful and cost-effective public health nutrition program. We provide wholesome food, nutrition education, and community support for income-eligible women who are pregnant or post-partum, infants, and children up to five years old. Whether we’re lending moms a sympathetic ear, providing them with free and healthy food, or referring them to outside care and social services, we hope to give them the resources, knowledge, and tools they need to be the moms they want to be.

One-Sentence Elevator Pitch

This is a way to answer the question What is WIC? in 10 seconds or less.

WIC is a successful public health nutrition program that provides wholesome food, nutrition education, and community support for income-eligible women who are pregnant and post-partum, for infants, and for children up to five years old.

Messaging Pillars

These pillars capture what is unique about WIC and serve as a foundation for messaging to explain what WIC delivers.

We give you healthy food and teach you how to use it.

Food is only as good as the nutrients it provides. We inform you about the benefits of breastfeeding and guide you through the process. We give you free healthy food, teach you how to shop for it, how to prepare it, and how to entice your child to eat it. It’s healthy food for the long haul.

We provide a community of support.

At WIC you’ll find a community of nutritionists, lactation consultants, professionals, and peers ready to listen, to share information, and to provide guidance and moral support. We’re a network built for moms. We connect them, we educate them, and we learn from them.

We connect you to care beyond WIC.

Food and nutrition are only one piece of a healthy life. Through referrals we can connect you with resources outside WIC, including healthcare professionals like pediatricians, OBGYNs and dental services, immunization services, substance abuse counselors, domestic abuse counseling, and social services. Our referrals put you in touch with the care you need to be healthy in every aspect of your life.