NORWICH – Given a noticeable drop in the number of customers enrolled in Chenango County’s division of the Federal Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), local WIC coordinators are reaching out to families that are in need of help.

The number of people currently enrolled in the WIC program has seen a slow but steady decline since the beginning of the year. According to Director Katha Root, WIC - a subsidiary of Opportunities for Chenango - typically enrolls approximately 1,700 people each month from its locations in Norwich, Greene, Bainbridge, Afton, New Berlin, and Sherburne. That includes approximately 150 pregnant women, 100 breastfeeding women, and 125 postpartum women, in addition to 375 infants and 950 children county-wide.

But the total number of people enrolled in WIC has fallen by nearly 150 from this time last year, Root explained. And while it might not seem like a significant number, she said the agency is spreading word that it’s there to offer women and children assistance in dire times of need.

“These numbers are usually constant throughout the year ... We really aren’t sure why numbers are down now,” Root said. “It’s concerning. We know there is a need out there. We know that people need food and we want people to come back if they need the help.”