ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Olmsted County Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is celebrating 50 years of empowering families, building healthier communities, and nurturing the future.

WIC began as a pilot project, with doctors prescribing healthy food as medicine. Since then, it has grown into a U.S. public health success story, helping to support generations of families and individuals from pregnancy to the age of five.

41 participants were enrolled in the program when it started in 175. Today, the program serves around 4,700 participants annually through food benefits and one-on-one breastfeeding peer support.

“WIC has helped thousands of families in Olmsted County,” Olmsted County WIC Manager Wendy O’Leary said. “We have been able to offer essential resources and support to ensure children have a healthy start in life.”

One of the major milestones for the program was when it started providing pop-up clinics in 2019 to reduce barriers for residents to participate. These clinics bring WIC services directly to the community, making it easier for families to enroll and receive healthy food benefits.

“As we celebrate 50 years of WIC, we’re proud to continue evolving to meet the needs of our community,” O’Leary said. “We strive to make access to healthy food and nutritional guidance easy for everyone.”

Those who may be interested in participating in the Olmsted County WIC program can apply for it here or by calling 507-328-7555.

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