July 24 , 2006 WIC Update

TO: Local WIC Provider Administrators, WIC Coordinators and WIC Nutrition Coordinators
SUBJECT: Value Enhanced Nutrition Assessment (VENA) Training -Save the Dates
SUBJECT: MyPyramid: Simple Steps to Healthy Living Questionnaire
SUBJECT: 2006 Annual WIC Vendor Training
SUBJECT: LAP Email July 21, 2006

1. Value Enhanced Nutrition Assessment (VENA) Training - Training to begin the VENA process is scheduled for the following dates and locations:

October 16-17, 2006 - St. Louis
October 17-18, 2006 - Columbia
October 19-20, 2006 - Cape Girardeau
November 14-15, 2006 - Kansas City
November 16-17, 2006 - Springfield

This is a mandatory training for the Nutrition Coordinator and depending upon the caseload of each local WIC provider, additional staff can and should attend. This is a Train the Trainer training. Each LWP will receive additional funds t o send staff to VENA training. The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) from Rochester, New York, will be teaching the first day of this required training. The second day will be conducted by the State WIC office staff. A registration brochure will be e-mailed to you in August so that you can register for this training. If questions, contact Phyllis Fuller at phyllis.fuller@dhss.mo.gov.

2. MyPyramid: Simple Steps to Healthy Living Questionnaire - Attached is a questionnaire for the Nutrition Coordinator to complete and return to Kelly Dotterweich . We have available the educational video or DVD in English and Spanish titled MyPyramid: Simple Steps to Healthy Living. Please respond if your agency would like this educational tool and if so, if you want a video or a DVD. If questions, please cont act Rita Arni at 1-800-392-8209 or Rita.Arni@dhss.mo.gov.
3. 2006 Annual WIC Vendor Training - The WIC Vendor Group will be conducting Annual WIC Vendor Training statewide throughout August 2006. Information regarding the changes that will go into effect October 1, 2006 will be shared with Local WIC Providers during the August WIC Program Updates training. A copy of the scheduled Annual WIC Vendor Training dates, times and locations has been attached. If you have any questions or have staff that would like to attend an Annual WIC Vendor Training session, please contact Bridgett Henderson at Bridgett.Henderson@dhss.mo.gov for more information.
4. LAP Email July 21, 2006 - An email was sent Friday July 21, 2006 regarding the 2007 Local Agency Plan (LAP). We have received reports that message was garbled. This can be remedied by viewing the email using HTML. Go under View and se lect HTML. If you did not receive the e-mail with the LAP information contact Glenn Studebaker at glenn.studebaker@dhss.mo.gov.