A pair of Marion County offices that provide nutritional assistance to women, infants and children are closing.

The WIC offices in Dunnellon and Lynne, in the Ocala National Forest area, will both close this month. Women and their children showing up at the Florida Department of Health’s WIC office in Lynne Wednesday got the bad news, this would be their last appointment at the office outside Silver Springs.

Their closest options now will be in Ocala, or Belleview in the Southern part of the county.

“It’s much more convenient to just come here instead of all the way in to town especially with all these kids,” Andrea Harrison, a mother of three said.

Based on the child’s nutritional needs or risks, women are asked to come here anywhere from once every month, to once every three months to get EBT cards reloaded with funds.

Marion County moms got $7 million worth of healthy food for their families last year through the program.

“You see a lot of benefit in the program specifically with the infants,” WIC and Nutrition clerk Cheryl Stephens said. “With the cost of formula and milk, it’s a big asset.”

So why are the offices closing? Funding from the state has dipped based on Marion County’s clients. Florida’s Department of Health in Marion County was faced with the decision of either cutting services, or closing offices.

With 300 clients in Lynne, 350 in Dunellon and more than 10,000 at the other three offices, they decided on closing the smallest offices.

“It is a greater distance and somewhat of a hardship but so far all of the Lynne clients have chosen to stay with the program and just do it at another location,” Craig Ackerman, Public Information Officer for the department said.

“I’ll miss being so close and handy, and her daycare being right across the road. But as long as they keep having a thing available for it, I’ll travel for it,” Marlene Castrow said sitting next to her granddaughter.

The last day for the office in Dunnellon is July 16. The office in Lynne will close July 23.

Marion County WIC offices are remaining open in Ocala, Belleview and Reddick.

Health department staff are available to help clients schedule appointments at the nearest WIC office. For more information or to request an appointment, please call the Marion County WIC office at 352-622-1161.