Amid blessings of gratitude, Addabbo launches Red Hook WIC center, by Noah Phillips

About one thousand Red Hook women, infants, and children can now receive vouchers and nutritional counseling at the Addabbo Family Health Center as part of the USDA’s WIC program.  The August 9 ribbon-cutting ceremony for Addabbo’s Red Hook WIC site was attended by community members, Addabbo leadership, and elected officials.

“We are truly glad to have the WIC program here,” says Ms. Bea Byrd, who serves on both the boards of Addabbo and NYCHA. “It took a little time and a lot of patience and a lot of help from our state partners. We asked, and we got it, and for that I am truly grateful.”

Ms. Byrd added that until now, mothers needed to go far outside of the neighborhood to receive WIC assistance.

The WIC program started in the seventies as a supplemental nutrition program to assist pregnant mothers and their young children staying healthy. In addition to offering food vouchers, the program encourages breastfeeding and provides nutritional counseling to mothers in both group and personal settings.

Red Hook mothers will be able to redeem their vouchers at any supermarket that has applied to and been approved by the USDA. Currently, C Town on Mill Street and Fairway both accept WIC vouchers.

Addabbo Family Health Center, which is based on the Rockaway Peninsula, offers WIC services at several other sites in Queens. Zimmie Baiden, director of Addabbo’s WIC program, says that the Red Hook location has been in the works since December 2014 when it was first included in Addabbo’s grant application to the New York State Department of Health.

Nineteen months and countless meetings later, Addabbo’s WIC clinic opened its doors on July 7. The ribbon was cut at the grand opening ceremony by Addabbo Executive Director Dr. Majorie Hill, Ms. Bea Byrd, and Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez.

“This is a win-win, because it is right here where we need it the most, and it is a success story to tell the nation,” Velazquez remarked. “Here we are today bringing a new program into this community health center to connect those that are most vulnerable… Given the political climate in Washington, this is so important. This is a success story that we need to talk about.”