Nutrition & WIC Services

Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC)

WIC's goal is to improve the health of low-income pregnant, breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, infants, and children up to five years of age. WIC provides supplemental foods, nutrition education and access to health services. Participants receive vouchers that can be redeemed at retail food stores for specific foods that are rich sources of the nutrients frequently lacking in the diet of low-income mothers and children.

Cook and Shop Smart for Better Health

Cook and Shop Smart for Better Health is a series of health promotion and disease prevention classes offered free of charge and open to community residents. The group classes offer basic nutrition information in a realistic setting where clients can learn shopping skills and prepare low-cost meals. Information is geared toward healthy choices in order to help prevent cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.

Cooking Matters (Click for Details)

Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters program (formerly Operation Frontline) is a national nutrition education program developed to address food security and hunger. Cooking Matters, sponsored nationally by ConAgra Foods and Walmart, promotes short and long term solutions to hunger by mobilizing volunteer chefs, nutritionists, and financial planners to teach people the nutrition, cooking, food budgeting, sanitation, and financial skills they need to make healthy food choices and good financial decisions on a low-income budget. Cooking Matters activities include six-week training sessions, free groceries to implement skills learned and a certificate of completion.

Mother and Child Program (MAC)

The MAC Program provides a monthly allotment of USDA commodity foods such as juice, evaporated milk, peanut butter, cereals, rice, canned fruits, vegetables, and meat to low-income women, infants and children up to age six. Participants also receive group nutrition education. This program is administered through Catholic Charities, a partner with NNHSC.

Medical Nutrition Therapy

This free service is offered through a physician referral only. A registered dietician provides individual nutrition counseling and follow-up to NNHSC clients in need of nutritional therapy such as diabetes counseling, hypertension counseling, or weight loss counseling.

Breastfeeding Program

NNHSC's Breastfeeding Program recently received a "Loving Support Award" from the Illinois Department of Human Services for its outstanding contribution and innovative ways of increasing the incidence and duration of breastfeeding. A breastfeeding coordinator oversees breastfeeding peer counselors who educate and support women who make the decision to breastfeed. Breastfeeding mothers returning to work or school may be eligible to receive free breast pumps and gift incentives from WIC.

Nutrition Education and Training

The Nutrition Education and Training Program offers dietetic, nursing, medical, and public health students and interns important community based learning and research opportunities in a minority neighborhood. This program is geared toward encouraging students to seek employment in public health nutrition.