124: Katie Hettinger

Nutritionist

Katie Hettinger is an office coordinator and nutritionist for the WIC program. Through WIC, pregnant women, mothers, and caregivers of infants learn about good nutrition. WIC offers breastfeeding support to new moms and can provide social and health referrals. 

Katie’s responsibilities include helping people receive benefits, helping to run the office smoothly, supporting the needs of participants, serving low-income families, providing nutritional information for moms who are pregnant and those who are nursing from birth up to age 5. Much of the program was interactive and face-to-face before covid. During the pandemic, it was necessary to connect over the phone. She missed seeing the babies and children especially during the pandemic

Katie is very proud of the agency and how it adapted during Covid-19. No benefits were disrupted even though there was a new process. Precovid up to 60 people could be waiting in the waiting room. She and her colleagues managed to serve those in need in new ways. She finds her job to be very rewarding and especially enjoys supporting new moms with breastfeeding. 

She feels the pandemic has changed her and increased her awareness and sensitivity of other people’s perceptions of things. It has improved her listening skills. 

Her wish for the future is that we all can have a respectful understanding of one another.