As Silvia Miranda shops for groceries in Gage Park, her 3-year-old son, Davi, helps choose what goes into the cart.
“Because most of the things is for him, I do let him pick a lot of things that I know he’s gonna eat or drink,” Miranda said.
For Miranda, who first used WIC (Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children) nearly three decades ago while pregnant with her oldest daughter, the experience is different this time around.
She remembers traveling to separate locations for appointments and groceries, then sometimes reaching a checkout counter only to learn a store did not accept her benefits or did not have the items she needed.
Now, a new WIC clinic brings those services together.
Near North Health and Catholic Charities are connecting nutrition support and grocery shopping at the Gage Park location, where families can enroll in WIC, meet with a nutritionist and shop for approved foods next door.
Amelia Stone, WIC program manager at Near North Health, said the clinic moved into the space Sept. 1.
“Not only can families come in and get enrolled and signed up for the WIC program, they can also just immediately go next door and shop for every single thing that’s on their WIC food list,” Stone said.
The arrangement helps take some of the guesswork out of shopping. The grocery store stocks WIC-approved foods, and families shop according to their individual benefit lists.
For Miranda, that means less time trying to determine which products qualify.
“Here it’s just so convenient because you know it all fits in the program,” she said.
She also said the prices help her benefits stretch further.
“I definitely get a lot more here than I do at the grocery store,” Miranda said.
During her shopping trip, Miranda picked out cereal, milk, cheese and produce with Davi. Staff helped her understand the quantities on her food list. At checkout, she learned she still had $7 in fruit and vegetable benefits remaining.
The support extends beyond the grocery aisles. Stone said nutritionists can help families understand their shopping lists, offer recipe ideas and answer questions about feeding their children. Staff also provide breastfeeding support and referrals to other services, including help connecting with SNAP and Medicaid enrollment.
For Celina Delgado, a Near North employee who once received WIC benefits herself, helping families navigate the process is personal.
“I feel good because I know I’m able to help someone that day,” Delgado said.
The clinic is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to Stone. The grocery store also opens on weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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