Johanna writes: "any woman in the US who needs to visit a food shelf, should
qualify for WIC."

You are right about that, Johanna! The problem is that many women who are in
the position of being homeless and in dire poverty still aren't aware that
this is the case. They are accustomed to programs where they have been
unable to get benefits without proof of permanent address (not the case with
WIC, by the way - and WIC has "food packages" specifically designed for
homeless families or those without refrigeration/cooking facilities - in the
case of formula, they would get ready-to-feed, and mom would get boxed or
canned milk for herself).

Many of these families are also "burned out" on programs like WIC - they
feel hassled there (too many questions), and almost all programs that
provide assistance EXCEPT shelters & food pantries require a lot of
documentation: address, proof of income, evidence of citizenship in some
cases, stuff that shows how they subsist, immunization records for the kids,
etc. These are the kinds of things that these families often have a great
deal of trouble keeping track of (it's hard to prove what you *don't* have),
especially when they live by staying with various people they know, or in a
car, or in an abandoned truck parked on someone's land, or from shelter to
shelter. Or they don't read very well, or don't speak much English. So they
don't KNOW they can get WIC, or they think it will be too much trouble, or
their husband/boyfriend won't "let" them - and he hits them so they're
afraid to go against his wishes.

Not pretty, not a "should" situation. So when you meet women like this, do
anything you can to help them get "hooked up"! If you can't do it yourself,
stay on that phone till you find the person who can take this woman to the
places she will be well-served! Soap-boxing here - sorry - this is my
"cause" in life, even more so than BFing!

Cathy Bargar, RN, IBCLC Ithaca NY