So when I was about 4 months pregnant I started on the WIC program. It is a government program that helps pregnant and nursing mothers and also children with a few extra groceries each month. The groceries are healthy-- things like peanut butter, milk, cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole wheat bread, fish, beans, etc... Items that can be expensive but they are paid for through the WIC program.
At 8.5 months I stopped because I missed a meeting I had with their office because I couldn't get the time off work. Then Austin was born and I was too exhausted to think. Then when I was no longer too exhausted to think (around 3 months...) I started calling the office to make an appointment but I never got through. I seriously think I called probably 3-4 times a week for almost a month trying to get through to make the appointment. I could have gone in and made the appointment, but I didn't want to drag Austin all the way down there. So last week I finally got through and made the appointment. It must have been a busy morning. The whole ordeal took about 2 hours but at the end of it I had my vouchers in hand.
It was very humbling to go to the WIC office. I hate that we are on such a tight budget that I rely on the welfare program of the government to help me out. I try to use the word humbling instead of humiliating mostly because I could choose to make it without the WIC vouchers. But it just makes it that much easier every month, and I figure that when Mark is working and we are paying taxes we will pay it back 10 times over. And if with our taxes we enable a low income family to give their babies an extra cup of milk or a nursing mother some extra protein then it is worth it. But it is still very humbling to be on the receiving end of a government handout.
That being said I had the most embarrassing moment today. So I got my WIC vouchers at the end of last week. And I guess I just wasn't paying attention to the dates but my vouchers don't start until the 23 of this month. Well when I got them I just figured they started right away. So I went to HT today and got everything all ready to go, got up to the counter, and was told my vouchers weren't valid. I thought I would die of embarrassment. I drove all the way home to see if I had just grabbed the wrong ones. I hadn't. So then I had to drive all the way back, apologize, have them return all the food, buy the rest of my groceries and walk out of the store. Oh. My. Goodness. I nearly started crying right there in the store. I was SO, SO embarrassed. I was so ready to get out that I forgot my cart behind my car and ran into it and scraped up the back of my car. AH! When is this horror going to end?! Okay. Maybe that is a little dramatic. But I am a dramatic person. So I got out, put the cart back, and drove home.
End of story. I would say that definitely ranks in my top 3 most embarrassing moments. I guess I will just have to use my vouchers next month when they are valid...
3 comments:
Oh no! Sadness. Being embarrassed is one of my very least favorite things! I'm sorry!
We're on WIC too, and since Tommy is formula-fed, I don't know what we would do without it! Formula would be $200 a month that we don't have. Don't feel too embarrassed- I worked at a grocery store for 4 years, and have seen just about every combination of not having the right vouchers, forgetting wallets, not having enough cash, etc, etc- I promise you are not the only one who has done that. The people who work there have seen it before, and wont think twice about it. Just don't do it again. ;)
Ditto. Joe was on formula too, ridiculously expensive PREEMIE formula (price check THAT next time you're in the baby aisle!) the process is awful, and humiliating, and I hated it too, but it was a blessing. You're not alone!!
~April
PS- HI!!! I finally found your blog!!! :)
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