OCEAN COUNTY – The Ocean County Health Department was joined by a large number of state, county and municipal officials recently when they cut the ribbon on its new Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC) office at 1328 River Ave (Route 9), Seagull Square Mall in Lakewood.
The event garnered much fanfare with presentations and a ribbon cutting ceremony. Brian Lippai, who serves as chief of administrative services at the Ocean County Health Department told Jersey Shore Online.com that the county’s “WIC program is the largest WIC agency in New Jersey and has witnessed a tremendous surge in caseload growth over the past eight years (2017-2025).”
“To put in perspective – the magnitude of this growth, the Ocean County program alone has a larger caseload size than the entire state caseload for 12 state programs,” he added. “Our ability to accommodate and support this growth is highly dependent upon our ability to increase staffing and expand our clinic locations within the county to meet the needs of this consistent growth.”
Lippai said, “that is just what we did with the Seagull Plaza location nestled between the Toms River WIC clinic (found in the Health Department) and the Lakewood clinic (located next to CHEMED), along Route 9. This location will allow for some relief in our current locations with the sheer size of staffing and participant volume.”
“The northern section of Ocean County has seen a tremendous population growth, including large cohorts of low-income families, mostly made up of preschool-aged children. From the moment a woman finds out that she is expecting until a child turns five years old, WIC is here to help,” Lippai added.
He explained “WIC provides supplemental, nutritious foods to families who meet the income guidelines, supporting the health of our most vulnerable Ocean County residents. WIC’s healthy foods are conveniently loaded on an EBT card for families to use at over 800 WIC vendors across New Jersey.”
He also noted that WIC families are also encouraged to take part in breastfeeding support and nutrition education while they receive WIC benefits.
County Public Health Coordinator Daniel Regenye, Assistant Public Health Coordinator Patricia High, Program Coordinator Kristie Fawkes and Board of Health Chairman John Mallon were among those who were at the new office preparing for the big event that morning.
Fawkes provided a tour for Jersey Shore Online.com noting that the facility “has everything included for WIC certification appointments. Most WIC clinics have the participant going from one spot to another spot to another spot and there is a lot of traveling within the clinics. What makes this one innovative is that they are coming into the family room and they stay put.”
“WIC staff are the movers,” she explained. “Intake staff goes in and when they are done, breast feeding staff goes in. When they are done, nutrition staff goes in. If they have a large family they come in, park it, and they aren’t moving and it does reduce their appointment time which is the positive feedback we have been receiving.”
Fawkes added that the new office has four family rooms and a lactation room, a lunch break area and storage room.
The opening of the facility comes at a time when the National WIC Association was warning that nearly 7 million parents and children could lose access to the program’s benefits due to the current federal shutdown but Fawkes clarified that “as of right now WIC is open and we encourage our families to keep their appointments and participate in WIC and to use their benefits especially if they are not receiving their SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits.”
“If someone is interested in applying for WIC benefits, they can contact us at 732-370-0122. You will be prompted to leave a message, and a WIC representative will return your call by the next day,” Lippai said.
Dr. Georgia Machell, the president and CEO of the National WIC Association stated on the agency’s website that “even short-term disruption to WIC’s healthy food benefits, lactation support, nutrition education, screenings, and referrals can have long-term negative impacts on families.”
“Without additional funding, state WIC agencies may be forced to take drastic measures that prevent families from accessing the services they need. This would directly jeopardize the health and nutrition of millions of mothers, babies, and young children,” Machell added.
New Jersey is among the states facing a funding loss to another federal benefit program, SNAP – sometimes called “food stamps” – which provides monthly electronic benefits that can be used to buy groceries.
Among the many officials present at the WIC ceremony were 30th District Senator Robert Singer who also serves as Vice Chairman Ocean Board of Health, 9th District Assemblyman Brian Rumpf, Ocean County Commissioners Jennifier Bacchione, who serves as the liaison to the Ocean County Health Department, Robert Arace, Frank Sadeghi, Lacey Mayor Peter Curatolo, and Lakewood Deputy Mayor Menashe Miller. Several expressed alarm and disagreement over the suspension of SNAP funding noting the impact it would have on Ocean County residents.
Last month, Ronald Ward, who serves as the acting leader of SNAP, sent out a warning to state health officials saying “if the current lapse in appropriations continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million individuals across the nation.”
According to the state’s website, “New Jersey was notified by the federal government that if the shutdown continues, November 2025 SNAP benefits may not be available on time.”
As of November 3, President Donald Trump’s administration told a federal judge, that it will use contingency funds to cover only part of November’s SNAP benefits according to The New York Times.
The administration rejected the court’s suggestion to use funds from the Child Nutrition Program and other federal reserves to make full payments. Over 24 states have filed a lawsuit disputing the Trump administration’s opposition to issuing SNAP benefits this month.
