Sioux City Times

Cherokee County saw a 3.2 percent decrease in the number of residents who participated in Iowa's Food Assistance Program from 2020 to 2021, according to a Cherokee Guide analysis of data from the state's Department of Human Services.

In 2021, 790 recipients (384 households) in Cherokee County participated in the Program compared to 816 recipients (400 households) in 2020.

Overall, $1,481,031 in food assistance payments were allocated to Cherokee County recipients in 2021.

In 2020, $978,919 was allocated for Cherokee 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 Cherokee County 2012-2021

Year	Number of recipients
2012	1,214
2013	1,160
2014	1,121
2015	1,104
2016	1,049
2017	972
2018	876
2019	816
2020	790
2021	687