The acronym NORTH, which stands for NORTH CENTRAL ORGANIZED REGIONALLY FOR TOTAL HEALTH is today a distant relic of the beginning of NORTH, INC. NORTH is a nonprofit health promotion organization founded in 1974 to draw attention to and facilitate the direction of health care resources into North Central Philadelphia, one of the areas with the worst mortality and morbidity statistics in the city.

In 1978, as a result of the credentials earned by the organization in this effort, NORTH, INC. was chosen by the Pennsylvania Department of Health to manage the Supplemental Food and Nutrition Education Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) in Philadelphia County. This county has the largest single county WIC caseload (54,000) and the largest potentially eligible population (75,000) in the Commonwealth.

NORTH, INC. operates 20 full-time WIC offices, and a Mobile Unit. The offices are located throughout Philadelphia County, with the majority of them being located within or in close proximity to health care facilities. Ten of the WIC offices are free standing sites which act as magnets, attracting persons who are not receiving health care, referring and counseling them to seek health care. The mobile unit allows staff to travel to areas of the city where health care facilities are not easily accessible. The unit is parked and staff provide services to persons who have previously called to make appointments for enrollment.

The mission of NORTH, INC. is to initiate and sponsor programs designed to improve the health and welfare of all low-income families in Philadelphia. Emphasis is placed on families with young children. The programs sponsored by this Agency are designed to provide direct health and nutrition education, access to health care and referrals to health and human service programs for pregnant and breastfeeding women, infants and pre-school children.

We welcome you to our Agency and encourage you to participate in working with us to empower the members of our target population to improve their health and nutritional status.