STRATEGIC PRIORITY

Increase the Reach of Nutrition Supports

We support efforts to increase awareness of, accessibility to and participation in programs that improve access to nutritious food. Programs like WIC, Senior Nutrition and Summer Meals seek to improve accessibility to nutritious foods for individuals and families by directly addressing affordability and food costs, emphasizing healthier options, often providing connections to opportunities for nutrition education, and even incentivizing the purchase of fresh, local produce.

Opportunities for coordination and support

WIC

Increase WIC participation among eligible pregnant women

Increase WIC participation among eligible toddlers and young children (ages 1-5)

Senior Nutrition

Increase awareness and access to senior-focused nutrition resources and reduce hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition by expanding the GetCareSC database to increase the number of federal, state, and local nutrition resources for programs and services

Use the Nourish to Flourish SC social media toolkit to raise awareness about the issues of senior malnutrition

Summer Meals

Support collaborative capacity-building efforts to improve the quality and reach of Summer Meals programs statewide

Promote the importance of Summer Meals programs through shared messaging

lead partners

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

Senior Nutrition

Summer Meals

additional strategic partners

Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service

FoodShare South Carolina

South Carolina Department of Education

South Carolina Department of Social Services

South Carolina Farmers Market Association

South Carolina SNAP-Ed Implementing Agencies

Many older South Carolinians who are eligible for SNAP don’t take advantage of the nutrition assistance program. Increased enrollment in SNAP would mean fewer seniors live with poverty and food insecurity. Food insecurity increases the risk of poor health, complicates people’s ability to manage illness, and is linked to higher health care costs.

WIC has a proven track record of safeguarding the health of low-income women, infants, and children under age 5 who are at nutritional risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets; information on healthy eating, including breastfeeding promotion and support; and referrals to health care.

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