February 10, 2010 Subject: TELL CONGRESS -- WITHOUT $6 BILLION, WIC MOMS AND KIDS WILL BE CUT FROM THE PROGRAM! Dear Funding for WIC – the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, is in serious jeopardy. Without $6 billion in funding WIC will have to cut over 560,000 moms and young children from the program. For more than a decade, Congress and succeeding administrations have honored a longstanding bipartisan commitment to provide enough WIC funds to serve all eligible mothers and children who apply. This year is different. We are facing a final outcome for fiscal year 2008 WIC funding that could require states to begin cutting more than 560,000 moms and children from the program as early as February. Economic circumstances well beyond the program’s control including a souring economy, rising food cost inflation, growing caseload, and frozen funding at fiscal year 2006 levels (under the current continuing resolution) have created this problem. I understand that Congress is developing an omnibus appropriations bill. I am writing to ask you to ensure that $6 billion in WIC funds are provided in that bill to protect WIC and serve all eligible applicants. If Congress funds WIC at the level proposed by the President, our state will be forced to cut (insert # from table) eligible moms and young children from the program. WIC has a documented track record of contributing to healthier pregnancies and birth outcomes, improving children’s health, growth and development and preventing health problems. WIC children enter school Ready to Learn and show better cognitive performance. As the nation’s premier public health nutrition program, WIC is a cost-effective, sound investment – insuring the health of our children. WIC currently serves about 8.5 million mothers, infants and children – nearly half of all America’s infants and one-quarter of its children 1–5 years of age. We urge you to provide $6 billion for WIC to ensure that no eligible mothers and children are turned away. Yours truly, We will add your signature from the information you provide.		First Name* Last Name* Email* Street* Street 2 City* State/Province* Select a state Alabama Alaska American Samoa Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware D.C. Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Northern Mariana Islands Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virgin Islands Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Armed Forces (the) Americas Armed Forces Europe Armed Forces Pacific Alberta British Columbia Manitoba Newfoundland New Brunswick Nova Scotia Northwest Territories Nunavut Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Yukon Territory Other Zip/Postal Code* Send an Email