Expanding Access

Ocean County Commissioner Jennifier Bacchione, liaison to the Ocean County Health Department along  with Ocean County Commissioner Deputy Director Frank Sadeghi and Ocean County Commissioner Robert S. Arace joined the Ocean County Health Department and local leaders to celebrate the grand opening of a new Women, Infants & Children (WIC) office in the Seagull Square Shopping Plaza in Lakewood on Oct. 31.

The new WIC office expands access to vital nutrition and health services for women and children in Lakewood’s southern neighborhoods. The bright, modern facility was designed to be both user-friendly and culturally sensitive, ensuring all families feel welcome and supported.

Officials emphasized the growing demand for WIC services in Lakewood – the fastest-growing and youngest municipality in New Jersey, where nearly half of the population is under 18 years of age.

The opening represents years of collaboration between County and Township officials and community partners, including Rabbi Lipa Klein of the CARES organization.

Among those attending the ceremony were New Jersey State Senator Robert Singer, Vice Chairman of the Ocean County Board of Health; Lakewood Deputy Mayor Menashe Miller; Lakewood Township Committeeman Meir Lichtenstein; Lakewood Township COO Trish Komsa; Ocean County Public Health Coordinator Daniel Regenye and Assistant Public Health Coordinator Patricia High; John Mallon, Chairman of the Ocean County Board of Health; and Kelly Anderson-Thomas, Assistant Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health.