Every time she has to buy groceries lately, Lily Marquez is concerned. He lives in a two-bedroom apartment in San Francisco with her two small children, her husband, her chronically ill mother-in-law, and grandmother of her husband. Both older women are seriously ill with a high risk of becoming when they get COVID-19, and do not want those to be infected. But gone are to avoid while many Americans make online purchases crowded areas during the current pandemic crown that Marquez is an option or not the millions of people who leave nutrition program for women in the Special Supplemental of other low-income women and children, infants and children, better known as WIC. The federal program requires that WIC participants or their designated agent to complete their purchases in person, in front of a cashier. “At Safeway, I went in and out because it was just literally chaotic,” says Marquez. “I’m like, there’s no way I do because when I go out, I do not take the kids, so I have to leave the kids with the elders and my husband tried to work. Online foods have so I’m just trying to get it to be fast. “the anti-hunger organizations and advocates for low-income working families towards the realization of years acquire WIC families and as a crown spread This spring, accelerated these efforts, federal legislators have the idea and the Department of Agriculture the United States has supported a number of exemptions allow WIC state authorities granted benefits granted and other operations to remotely execute during the pandemic. But it also seemed to him the most were stay-at-home orders this spring is the USDA does not usually moved beneficiaries are demanding that their food to buy in person, citing concerns about fraud. Proponents do not buy it. “It is a public concern,” said Melissa Cannon, a senior policy attorney in California Food Policy argues that work on this issue. “It’s going to be a challenge for anyone in the supermarket now, since there are social distancing rules. You could for a long time to wait in line. These challenges are increased for any mother who is with young children going on.” L ‘May 8, about 100 members of Congress, led by Michigan Rep. Andy Levin and Wisconsin Rep. Gwen Moore, a letter to the Food and Nutrition service (FNS) administrator Pam Miller, whose department wrote monitored WIC, ask them to give up to require that the participants their PIN or the use of vouchers in front of a cashier enter. Miller responded recently to Levin said that “FNS active requests to waive verification requirement that the WIC operations occur in the presence of a cashier in order to allow for a contactless transaction.” Levin said he was “very unhappy” about FNS inaction. “I do not understand what their reasons were,” he said in an interview with Die Zeit. “I mean, they behave almost like poor people, people of class work, can not be with others in the 21st century.” The WIC program helps pregnant women, postpartum or breastfeeding and children under the age of five are. To qualify for the benefits that a family needs at or below 185% of federal poverty to be. numerous data have shown that low-income areas are hardest hit by the pandemic crown, and Hispanics and blacks Americans, who make up a significant part of WIC participants who get higher rates. Officials have not responded FNS specific time questions to ask about shopping online access, or if the agency could change the requirement that WIC participants complete purchases before a cashier. A spokesman for the agency said that the request for removal could have a “significant negative impact on program integrity.” In a statement at the time, said USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue that “USDA our services and flexibility maximizes children and others to ensure that need food, they can get during this coronavirus outbreak.”, The National WIC Association, the nonprofit that works on education and advocacy to the federal program, has assumed a major role in the push for online shopping. Since the pandemic erupted this spring, the USDA has allowed a growing number of states of a pilot program to place recipients SNAP food stamps for use, it allows you to purchase online. Proponents argue that such a switch in WIC WIC Program could happen. WIC transactions are complex used as food stamps because it maintains computer systems require to recognize the foods that individual participants can buy, so there is to work out a few technological hurdles. But supporters say it can be done. “One of proactive government, the problems and consequences and risks have been identified, in particular for pregnant women, infants and young children, above this and was aggressive to allow maximum flexibility in the program to the participants, is would move, “says Douglas Greenaway, President and CEO of the National WIC Association. Instead Greenaway organization was to coordinate its working groups and to hold meetings with the WIC state agencies, retailers and other organizations for months, even if the leadership USDA reissued on May 11 reiterated that the WIC purchases before a cashier must be completed. Meanwhile FNS TIME said that administrators to work with States to explore other options. For example, current regulations allow WIC participants to make on-line orders, but must appear in person to complete their purchases. Theoretically states allow online grocery mothers to select and then pay in person during a pickup door to door, when they receive a delivery or. But Elisabet Eppes, the director of the innovation program at the National WIC Association, says no such program still exists. There are retailers must accept WIC technology for payments outside their shops, he says, and have very little financial motivation to upgrade their systems. While regional food chains and some national retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target and Kroger participating research group at the National WIC Association, progress is slow. Without federal approval for an online purchase WIC program, and a relatively small customer base, has more than six million participants-Eppes WIC says it was difficult to invest large retailers to attract money and time new technologies. Since the delay, some states are trying to inquiries that would accelerate the changes for the more limited authorization process. Minnesota, for example, on April 15 demanded that SNSF give up the cash requirement so that WIC participants could buy food on the phone and then collect door to door, without entering into a business. The state has not yet received a response from Washington, Kate Minnesota WIC Director francs. Still, supporters say the battle rages. The parent is based in San Francisco, Marquez said a recent shopping trip takes much longer than it should have, had to go to four different stores before finding that they were not too crowded. As in California, as in most states, has moved into a period of recovery, he says Marquez has seen long lines and contribute to fewer number of masks buyers precautions and adhere social distancing. “It ‘was crazy, because I was tried,” said Marquez. “I do not want to lose WIC benefits, because you know we need it now at this difficult time. So now it’s like, I’d like it could for online transition, less exposure because that is only now in these frightening insane moments. “Correcting June 3 the original version of this story misspelled the surname of the President of the National WIC Association and CEO. It is not Greenaway Greenway. image Copyright Bill Greene Boston Globe / Getty Images
Mothers who at the federal level for food aid Fight Exit to get safe food during COVID-19 outbreak
