This week’s Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce coffee held at the Nevada County Health Unit was in celebration of not only the 50th anniversary of WIC, the federal and state- supported program to assist Women, Infants and Children, but the 50th anniversary of Janice Honea’s starting work for the Arkansas Department of Health. 

The many attendees, enough to easily fill the waiting room of the building on 501 West First North, heard from Honea as she was presented a plaque by Arkansas Department of Health Secretary Renee Mallory’s Chief of Staff Don Adams: “It's been a wonderful ride. I don't want it to end. I'm not going home yet.” 

Honea, who began as a clerk typist and is currently the department’s southwest regional coordinator for personnel, thanked the staff and supervisors present and added, “I wouldn't have lived the 50 years anywhere else than the Arkansas Department of Health.” 

She also she remembered when WIC, more properly called the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants and Children, was first made available. “I remember the first week, a little orange Volkswagen drove up out there. The WIC coordinator was a guy out of Texarkana. He drove in. People were lined all the way to the end of the road.” 

Served on three tables were an assortment of breakfast and lunch foods, including nut bread, muffins of several flavors, pinwheels, finger sandwiches, cookies, taco-nacho dip, meatballs, smokies. Beverages offered were coffee, iced-down water and orange punch. A cake commemorating Honea's 50-year career was also brought out.