Deschutes County WIC

04/29/2026

Partner Spotlight: Family Resource Center of Central Oregon has so many great parenting classes! This one starts in June. Check out their FB page or website to get details about other classes coming up soon. Most classes have a meal and childcare provided, and they are all FREE!

✨ Back by popular demand… ✨

Make Parenting a Pleasure is returning this June 💚

If you’re parenting a child from newborn to 8 years old, this class is for YOU. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, looking for new tools, or just want to feel more confident in your parenting, you’re not alone.

In this free class, you’ll:
• Learn what’s actually going on in your child’s development
• Discover ways to manage stress (because parenting is a lot)
• Build a toolkit for positive discipline that works in real life

🗓 Starts June 3
🕛 Wednesdays | 12–1:30pm
📍 In person in Bend

✨ Lunch, childcare, and a book are provided

Spots fill up, register early here 👉 https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/rMsrmeqpYh

04/28/2026

“Creo que es importante que las madres primerizas al igual que las madres con experiencia tengan acceso a diversas opciones y, lo más importante, que estén informadas sobre cómo elegir”. “Tener opciones no es suficiente”: Assanatou, participante del WIC

Visite www.deschutes.org/wic para descubrir cómo el puede ayudar a su familia! 💖

04/28/2026

“I think it's important for new moms and existing moms to have access to diverse choices and, most importantly, to be educated on how to choose. Just having the choice is not enough.” - Assanatou, WIC Participant

Visit www.deschutes.org/wic to see how can help your family! 💖

04/14/2026

Spring is here! 🦋The sunny, warm weather is a great opportunity to spend some time outside with your family! ☀️

🪻Stroll your neighborhood or local garden to see some of the blooming flowers.
🌱Start your own garden with flowers or produce.
🧺Pack your own picnic and explore a new park or playground.

Wishing you a season filled with sunshine and fresh blooms! 🌸

04/11/2026

The air is crisp and spring blooms are starting to sprout! 🌱It’s the perfect time to start gardening by getting seeds started so they’re ready to plant in a flower bed or a container garden when the weather warms up! Did you know you can use recycled egg cartons to get started with planting? 🥚

Make your own egg carton tomato plant seed starter with your little ones 🍅: https://carnegiemnh.org/egg-carton-seed-starter/

04/08/2026

Did you know that can help answer your questions, offer support and advice from lactation specialists, and provide pumping tools, if needed, to support your breastfeeding journey? 💗

Get started by visiting our website www.deschutes.org/wic! 🌟

04/01/2026

🌱 Plant Seeds, Watch Gratitude Grow

Gardening is a great way to grow fresh produce and show your little ones where foods come from! Start planting in early spring (herbs, veggies, or flowers) and talk about what you’re grateful for as you care for them. By summer, you'll have something tangible to enjoy! 🌱

Don’t have the yard space to plant? Grow plants in pots on your windowsills instead! You can also look into community gardens and public green spaces near you to get in touch with nature in your neighborhood!



La jardinería es una excelente manera de cultivar alimentos frescos y mostrarles a los pequeños de dónde vienen los alimentos. Comienza a plantar a principios de la primavera (hierbas, verduras o flores) y hablen sobre aquello que agradecen mientras cuidan de las plantas. Cuando llegue el verano, tendrán algo tangible que disfrutar 🌱

¿No tienes jardín para plantar? No importa. Puedes cultivar plantas en macetas en el alféizar de la ventana. También puedes ir a los jardines comunitarios y a los espacios verdes públicos más cercanos para estar en contacto con la naturaleza de tu vecindario.

03/30/2026

Los ácidos grasos omega-3 son una manera excelente de fortalecer la salud del corazón y se encuentran en muchos alimentos aprobados por WIC. Puedes encontrarlos en:

🐟Pescados enlatados, como salmón y atún
🍳Huevos y productos de soja, como el tofu
🥑Coles de Bruselas y aguacates

Se ha demostrado que los omega-3 son especialmente importantes durante el embarazo, ya que contribuyen al desarrollo del cerebro y la retina del feto. También ayudan a reducir la inflamación, disminuir la presión arterial y favorecer la salud ocular. 💕

Habla con el personal local de WIC para aprender más sobre nutrición y cómo WIC puede acompañar a tu familia. Visita https://www.deschutes.org/health/page/women-infants-and-children-wic # para obtener más información.

03/30/2026

Omega-3 fatty acids are a great way of supporting heart health and can be found in many WIC-approved foods! You can find them in:

🐟Canned fish like salmon and tuna
🍳Eggs and soy products like tofu
🥑Brussels sprouts and avocados

Omega-3 fats have also been shown to be important during pregnancy, as they are important building blocks of the fetal brain and retina. These foods can help reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure, and support eye health! 💕

Talk to your local WIC staff to learn more about nutrition and how WIC can support your family. Visit https://deschutes.org/health/page/women-infants-and-children-wic for more information.

03/13/2026

Did you know that you can use your WIC benefits for frozen fruits and vegetables? March is Frozen Food Month. Frozen fruits and vegetables have many benefits, such as:

🫐A longer shelf life, helping reduce food waste.
🫐 Simplifying meal preparation.
🫐High levels of nutrients and vitamins from being frozen at peak ripeness.

Celebrate Frozen Food Month with WIC and incorporate frozen fruits and vegetables
into your smoothies, entrees, baked goods, or jams and sauces!



¿Sabías que puedes usar tus beneficios de WIC para comprar frutas y verduras congeladas? Marzo es el Mes de los Alimentos Congelados. Estos son algunos de los numerosos beneficios que tienen las frutas y las verduras congeladas:

🫐Mayor vida útil, lo que ayuda a reducir el desperdicio de alimentos.
🫐 Facilitan la preparación comidas.
🫐Altos niveles de nutrientes y vitaminas ya que se congelan en su punto máximo de
maduración.

Celebra el Mes de los Alimentos Congelados con WIC e incorpora frutas y verduras
congeladas en tus batidos, platos principales, preparaciones horneadas, mermeladas y salsas.

03/11/2026

Happy Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day! 🥳 Today, we celebrate the amazing Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) who help families live healthier lives through the power of nourishing foods and nutrition education. 🥗💕

To the RDNs at and beyond: Thank you for sharing your knowledge with parents and for bringing passion to your work to support families. Whether you’re guiding moms-to-be, supporting breastfeeding parents, or teaching families how to make nutritious meals, your work makes a lasting impact on the health and well-being of the families you serve. 💕



¡Feliz Día del Nutricionista Dietista Registrado! 🥳 Hoy celebramos a los increíbles Nutricionistas Dietistas Registrados (RDN) que ayudan a las familias a vivir vidas más sanas y activas con el poder de la alimentación y la nutrición. 🥗💕

Para los RDN de y en otras partes: gracias por compartir su conocimiento con las familias y por acompañarlas con tanta pasión. Ya sea que estén guiando a futuras mamás, apoyando a personas que amamantan o enseñando a las familias cómo preparar comidas nutritivas, su labor tiene un impacto duradero en la salud y el bienestar de las familias a las que apoyan. 💕

11/04/2025

Central Oregon friends! Below is a summary of all the food access programming that will be available at Fill Your Pantry this year:

If you receive SNAP benefits and have any benefits left on your card - you will be able to use these funds like a normal farmers market AND will receive additional matching funds.

Please visit the Bend Farmers Market (BFM) booth to exchange EBT benefits for SNAP tokens. You will also receive an additional $100 in Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) and $20 in Protein Perks.

If you receive SNAP benefits and have at least $1 left on your card - you will be able to withdraw that $1 AND will receive $100 in emergency DUFB benefits as well as $20 in Protein Perks benefits.

If you receive SNAP benefits and have $0 left on your card - you will be able to access $20 in DUFB emergency funds and $20 in Protein Perks.

If you are in need of food, regardless of receiving SNAP or not, you will have access to our Fill All Pantries free food bins near the entrance of FYP in the center of the market.

Please look for the “Fill All Pantries” sign and check in with our volunteers if you need any help. Please all bring bags if you have any available.

You will be able to take:
-As many fruits and vegetables as you need

-For single folks or couples, you may take one package of ground meat. For families, you may take two packages of ground meat.

-For single folks or couples, you may take one loaf of bread. For families, you may take two loaves of bread.

-You may also take one jar of preserves!

Unfortunately, we do not have unlimited funds or unlimited food. If you come to the event and we are out of food, please see a volunteer or someone at the Bend Farmers Market booth and we will try to connect you with additional resources.

A huge thank you to the Farmers Market Fund () for funding the emergency Double Up Food Bucks initiative!

And thank you, our community, for your support! 💛