100 Women Who Care choose to help market's WIC program

Webb City Farmers Market’s WIC coupon program received a $3,600 donation Tuesday from the local chapter of 100 Women Who Care.

Each quarter, the organization invites three charities to present their worthy programs to the 100 Women members. 

This time, they chose the market’s WIC program to receive their donations.

Participants in the federal Women and Infant Children program can receive two $5 coupons each week by showing their WIC card at the market’s information table.

With those coupons, they can purchase WIC eligible food from vendors, including uncut produce, meat and eggs.

Stefanie Thomasma, interim market manager, explained that the $3,600 donation from 100 Women Who Care will allow the market to give out 720 coupons.

WIC donations are accounted for separately by the market so they won’t be spent for other purposes.

If the market were to run out of funding it would have to stop issuing coupons. However, Thomasma said in the past five years donors to the WIC program haven’t made it necessary to cease the coupons.

The market conducts fundraisers to benefit the WIC program and some customers donate on their own. Last year, the cause received a big boost when it received a grant from Sparklight Charitable Giving and a W.R. Corley Memorial Grant. 

In addition to the WIC program, the market also participates in the Double Up Food Bucks program. By charging up to $25 on their EBT card, market customers receive $50 in tokens that they can spend on allowed purchases at the vendor tables.

100 Women Who Care, an international organization, was represented at the check presentation by the local founder, Valerie Doerr.

She noted that members donate a minimum of $100 each quarter. “There is no time-consuming fundraising event, no expensive meal, and no 5K to run.”

Since its founding in 2018, the Jasper/Newton counties chapter has given out $48,000 to 19 local nonprofit organizations.

The three organizations presenting at the next meeting will be Faithfull Friends, Friends of the Joplin Public Library and Regional Health & Welfare. That meeting will be held (in person and virtually) at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, at the Joplin Public Library.

For more information, send a message to 100wwcjn@gmail.com, visit the Facebook page or call (417) 529-3682.