PHFE WIC 2024 Impact Report
Kiran Saluja, MPH, RDN
Executive Director
A Message from Our Executive Director
2024 was a particularly special year for us as we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the WIC program! For fifty years, WIC has been a vital source of support for parents, empowering them to make smart food choices for their families and setting them on the path for a lifetime of good health. I am in awe of the incredible strides the PHFE WIC team made in 2024 bringing joy, support and great compassion into the lives of our WIC families. Rising grocery prices drove thousands of families to seek support from WIC this year for the first time. This amazing team rose to the occasion to serve waves of new applicants, ensuring that families were quickly connected to WIC benefits and other community resources to help ease the sting of inflation. Our expanded telehealth services allow us to connect with families ensuring that distance is not a barrier to participating in the WIC program. In response to the growing demand for WIC, our team also grew. We hired six cohorts of nutrition professionals to our frontline team and graduated two classes through our dietetic internship and lactation internship. As we envision the future, PHFE WIC looks forward to improved technology and modernization while continuing to build on and enrich meaningful contacts with our WIC families so they always get the best, most empathic services from this great #bestteamever; #phfewic! It is a privilege to work alongside them!
Celebrating WIC’s 50th Anniversary
We honored the 50th Anniversary of the WIC program at state and national events. Staff attended the WIC 50th Anniversary Celebrations hosted by the California WIC Association in Sacramento, California, and the National WIC Association in California hosted in Pineville, Kentucky. We also celebrated and reflected on the WIC program’s successes at our annual staff picnic.
WIC’s Core Services
We served families
across three counties
Who we served
257,609
Infants, children, and parents participated
$175 Million
In WIC benefits issued to parents and children
Caring and Connecting
are What We Do Best
553+
Nutrition, pregnancy, and breastfeeding support groups facilitated virtually
$570,000
Worth of fruits and vegetables distributed to families through the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program
422
Food boxes given to WIC families through our partnership with the Clementine Mobile Food Trolley
614,675
Diapers given to
38,500 babies and children
262,000
Books distributed at all WIC locations in partnership with Little by Little, Books for Kids, and The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation
A Circle of
Breastfeeding Support
We are sharing a wealth of maternal knowledge with the next generation of moms.
71
Breastfeeding support groups held in 6 languages
23
WIC centers with onsite lactation consultations
A Thousand Reasons to Celebrate!
Every August, WIC celebrates National Breastfeeding Month in support of breastfeeding education and access. In 2024, PHFE WIC held its third annual Community Resource Fair. More than 1400 individuals received diapers, books, and breastfeeding supplies and connected with local community organizations providing additional health resources.
Live, Latch, Love
PHFE WIC hosted its inaugural “Latch On” event to create a fun and memorable experience to celebrate and normalize breastfeeding in our community. Over 100 proud parents gathered to latch publicly, socialize, and support each other.
Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program 20th Anniversary
WIC celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program in March 2024. Our breastfeeding peer counselors support and encourage parents throughout their breastfeeding journey. We have connected with over 326,000 families since the start of the program.
CinnaMoms was awarded four grants in 2024 by community organizations to help address
Black and infant maternal health disparities and improve health outcomes.
$200,000
Los Angeles Jewish Community Health Foundation
$100,000
LA Care GAAINS II Grant
$100,000
LA Care GAAINS III Grant
$25,000
Abundant Birth Project
$80,000
Kaiser Permanente Maternal Health Initiative
$25,000
Kaiser Permanente Community Health Grant
CinnaMoms Crenshaw celebrated its first anniversary during an in-person event in June 2024! CinnaMoms has been dedicated to creating a warm, welcoming space for mothers, birthing people, and their families. Within its first year, CinnaMoms staff hosted several events in the space, including Drop-In Lactation Services, Mommy Meet-Ups, a Toddler Meet-Up, a Black Maternal Health Week Short Film Showcase, and Black Breastfeeding Week in August.
Our Research
Makes an Impact
Research Publications
8
Research articles published
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Anderson CE, Goran MI, Whaley SE. Any Infant Formula Amount, but Not Infant Formula Type, Is Associated with Less Healthful Subsequent Beverage Intake among Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children-Participating Children. Curr Dev Nutr. 2024 Feb 3;8(3):102094. doi: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2024.102094. PMID: 38419833; PMCID: PMC10897848.
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Anderson CE, Whaley SE. Cross-sectional associations of Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children benefit redemption and diet among children ages 1-4 years in California. Am J Clin Nutr. 2024 Jun 7:S0002-9165(24)00523-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.06.002. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38852854.
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Anderson CE, Whaley SE, Goran MI. The neighborhood food environment modifies the association between infant feeding and childhood obesity. BMC Public Health. 2024 May 8;24(1):1264. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-18755-9. PMID: 38720256; PMCID: PMC11080259.
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Anderson CE, Whaley SE. Surveillance of Infant Formula Shortages Using Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children Administrative Data. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2024 Jan;56(1):16-26. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2023.10.014. Epub 2023 Nov 22. PMID: 37999698.
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Chaney AM, Anderson CE, Arnold CD, Whaley SE, Ritchie LD, Pundi GR, Nguyen CJ, Au LE. Evaluating the Association of the Increase in the WIC Cash Value Benefit on the Diversity of MyPlate Fruits and Vegetables Redeemed and Consumed By Children in Low-Income Households. Curr Dev Nutr. 2024 May 16;8(6):103778. doi: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2024.103778. PMID: 38952351; PMCID: PMC11215201.
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Tsai MM, Anderson CE, Whaley SE, Yepez CE, Ritchie LD, Au LE. Associations of Increased WIC Benefits for Fruits and Vegetables With Food Security and Satisfaction by Race and Ethnicity. Prev Chronic Dis. 2024 Mar 28;21:E19. doi: 10.5888/pcd21.230288. PMID: 38547021; PMCID: PMC10996387.
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Yepez CE, Anderson CE, Frost E, Whaley SE, Koleilat M. Sleep Duration Is Associated with Household Food Insecurity and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake Among Women, Infants and Children Participating Children Ages 0-5. Am J Health Promot. 2024 May;38(4):492-502. doi: 10.1177/08901171231225289. Epub 2023 Dec 28. PMID: 38155440.
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Yepez, Catherine E. MPH; Isbell, Ann M. PhD, MA; Anderson, Christopher E. PhD, MSPH; Whaley, Shannon E. PhD. Factors Associated With Caregiver Reporting of Developmental Concerns Among Children in Low-Income Communities. Infants & Young Children 37(2):p 115-130, April/June 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/IYC.0000000000000262
Christopher Anderson, PhD, MSPH
Received the 2024 NWA Leadership Award in recognition for his achievement in publishing impactful research studies.
Catherine Yepez, MPH
Awarded a grant from Healthy Eating Research (HER) alongside Dr, Shannon Whaley, which will contribute to funding future WIC research.
Rhonda Clayton
Received the Gold Award for the PHFE WIC Breastfeeding in recognition of the excellent breastfeeding support she provides to families and for bringing innovative ideas in her role as a Breastfeeding Specialist.
Maria Valenzuela-Avena
Awarded the 2024 Outstanding Achievement Award by the Heluna Health Board of Directors
PHFE WIC in the News
Staff Stories
Kelsey Hill and Martha Meza share their journeys with WIC from both a participant and a staff perspective in an interview with the National WIC Association.
Listen Here!
Learning and Growing
568
Employees
60
Employees hired in 2024
6
Dietetic Intern program graduates
9
Employees became Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs)
2
Employees became Lactation Consultants (LCs)
2024 – 2025 California Nutrition Corps Scholars
The California WIC Association awards scholarships to staff working at local WIC agencies who are pursuing further education.
Angel Alonso, MS
Diana Gonzalez
Taylor Lowe, MS
Kelly Woo, MS
IBCLC Training Program Graduates
Four WIC Peer Counselors who were awarded the CDPH/WIC Lactation Training Scholarship in 2023 and participated in the “Grow Our Own IBCLC Program” (GOO) through Riverside County WIC graduated from the program in February 2024.
Thank you to our staff and community partners who share our commitment to improving the health, well-being, and resilience of parents and children in our communities.
With the growing demand for WIC services, we rededicate ourselves with renewed energy, compassion, and dedication to serving parents and young children in our community in 2025.
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