Sioux City Times

Monona County saw a 9.4 percent decrease in the number of residents who participated in Iowa's Food Assistance Program from 2019 to 2020, according to a Monona Guide analysis of data from the state's Department of Human Services.

In 2020, 911 recipients (429 households) in Monona County participated in the Program compared to 1,006 recipients (477 households) in 2019.

Overall, $1,688,322 in food assistance payments were allocated to Monona County recipients in 2020.

In 2019, $1,202,078 was allocated for Monona County program participants.

Qualified recipients in the Program are eligible to receive financial assistance in the form of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, which then can be used to buy groceries. The Program is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's larger Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Number of Food Assistance Program Participants in Monona County 2011-2020

Year	Number of recipients
2011	1,137
2012	1,274
2013	1,280
2014	1,234
2015	1,153
2016	1,124
2017	1,148
2018	1,080
2019	1,006
2020	911