• COVID-19 Resources
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Promotions
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • May 10, 2025

Milwaukee Courier Weekly Newspaper

"THE NEWSPAPER YOU CAN TRUST SINCE 1964"

  • News
  • Editorials
  • Education
  • Urban Business
  • Health
  • Religion
  • Upcoming Events
  • Classifieds

Share:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

St. Joseph’s Celebrates the Opening of WIC Office Through Partnership with the Health Department

April 13, 2019

By Nyesha Stone

Health Commissioner Jeanette Kowalik shares her personal experience with WIC. (Picture taken from Facebook)

Ascension St. Joseph’s has been a pillar in the city for years, and according to Mayor Tom Barrett, it also services the largest population of Milwaukee residents on Medicaid. St. Joseph’s goal is to be the one-stop-shop hospital; recently it cut the ribbon on the new Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) office, which resides in inside the building.

This effort was made possible through a partnership with the City of Milwaukee Heath Department and will be housed in St. Joseph’s Women Outpatient Center.

“I’m a longtime fan of St. Joe’s,” said Mayor Tom Barrett who’s three daughters were born in the hospital.

WIC now resides in a “neighborhood where we need it the most,” he added.

Most mothers who visit St. Joe’s qualify for WIC but have yet to apply. Thanks to WIC, many low-income minority mothers are receiving benefits to help them provide for their children.

Ald. Rainey’s daughter cut the ribbon for the opening of the new WIC office at St. Joseph’s. (Picture taken from Facebook)

According to WIC’s site: “(WIC) provides Federal grants to States for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk.”

Milwaukee Health Commissioner Jeanette Kowalik and Alderman Khalif Rainey gave a few words about this momentous accomplishment for the city.

As a prior WIC recipient, Kowalik understands the need for such a program, specifically in the Black community where a lot of infants are dying due to lack of nutrition and resources.

“I know the power of WIC,” said Kowalik, she added that the use of WIC has gone down nationally. She said the health department is paying attention to this and is expecting the WIC office to be successful.

Rainey felt it was only right to bring his daughter to emphasize the importance of the office and what it can do for our future generation. He stated the day of the ribbon cutting, on April 8, is symbolic of the commitment St. Joseph’s has made to the community.

“The people in the surrounding neighborhoods will appreciate it,” Rainey said about the new WIC office.

Although many people downplay WIC, it’s a huge part of why so many of us in the Black community are here today.

To find out more about WIC, visit https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/women-infants-and-children-wic.

Share:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Popular Interests In This Article: Ascension Wisconsin, Jeanette Kowalik, Khalif Rainey, Nyesha Stone, St Joseph Hospital, Tom Barrett, Women Infants and Children WIC

Read More - Related Articles

  • Milwaukee News Company Secures Partnership with Amazon
  • Milwaukee Families Gather to Celebrate the Holidays and Promote Infant Health
  • Ascension St. Joseph Earns An ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group
  • Ascension St. Joseph Women’s Outpatient Center Wins Global Vision Award for Advancing Maternal Care
  • Ascension St. Joseph Expands Surgical Program with Robotic Technology, Bringing Advanced Care to Northside Community
Become Our Fan On Facebook
Find Us On Facebook


Follow Us On X
Follow Us On X

Editorials

Lakeshia Myers
Michelle Bryant
Dr. Kweku Akyirefi Amoasi formerly known as Dr. Ramel Smith

Journalists

Karen Stokes

Topics

Health Care & Wellness
Climate Change
Upcoming Events
Obituaries
Milwaukee NAACP

Politicians

David Crowley
Cavalier Johnson
Marcelia Nicholson
Governor Tony Evers
President Joe Biden
Vice President Kamala Harris
Former President Barack Obama
Gwen Moore
Milele A. Coggs
Spencer Coggs

Classifieds

Job Openings
Bid Requests
Req Proposals
Req Quotations
Apts For Rent

Contact Us

Milwaukee Courier
2003 W. Capitol Dr.
Milwaukee, WI 53206
Ph: 414.449.4860
Fax: 414.906.5383

Copyright © 2025 · Courier Communications | View Privacy Policy | Site built and maintained by Farrell Marketing Technology LLC
We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, click here.