ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 More than 420,000 Floridians use WIC, according to a 2024 USDA report \u2014 the fourth highest number in the country. <\/p>\n
However, those benefits are delayed for many in Central Florida due to the government shutdown, leaving families without a way to pay for baby formula and nutritional food for their children.<\/p>\n
Destiny Perez-Prado is trying to figure out how she\u2019s going to feed her seven children this month since her WIC and SNAP benefits are delayed. <\/p>\n
[EXCLUSIVE:Become a News 6 Insider (it\u2019s FREE)<\/a>| PINIT!Share your photos<\/a>]<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s still just heartbreaking, you know, to think that for Thanksgiving, we might not be able to celebrate Thanksgiving \u2014 you know, have the food that we need, food that would be typically accessible to us,\u201d Perez-Prado said.<\/p>\n Her benefits pay for around $800 in groceries each month, and WIC specifically covers her more expensive items like baby formula, Pediasure, and other nutritional foods. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s so expensive. Just a can of formula \u2014 the cheapest is $28, I believe. And it\u2019s crazy. Some kids need specialized formulas,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Between being a single mother, college student, and self-employed, Perez-Prado says getting a second job to afford groceries is nearly impossible. <\/p>\n \u201cI have two children with autism \u2014 a little girl and a little boy \u2014 and then my third with ADHD. So for that, you know, it\u2019s hard for me to keep a consistent job, even with my degree,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n One Heart for Women and Children is stepping in to help Perez-Prado. Founder Stephanie Bowman says about 30,000 people in Orange County use WIC \u2014 and many of them now need extra help.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve had 500 calls just this week from individuals we\u2019ve never seen or heard from before,\u201d Bowman said.<\/p>\n One Heart typically helps around 20,000 people per month, but that demand is rising due to the shutdown. <\/p>\n \u201cWhat we\u2019ve had to do is give families less food \u2014 and we never want to do that. But we want to make sure that every individual who comes to us can get food,\u201d Bowman added.<\/p>\n Perez-Prado says she\u2019s working to become financially stable one day, but right now her priority is feeding her kids. <\/p>\n \u201cYou know, they still deserve to eat. They\u2019re babies \u2014 they didn\u2019t ask to be here. And even if we as parents didn\u2019t go about it the way certain people think we should to avoid problems like this, it\u2019s still a problem. We\u2019re still here, and we still need help,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n