Sioux City Times

Ida County saw a 2.3 percent decrease in the number of residents who participated in Iowa's Food Assistance Program from 2020 to 2021, according to a Ida Guide analysis of data from the state's Department of Human Services.

In 2021, 554 recipients (257 households) in Ida County participated in the Program compared to 567 recipients (253 households) in 2020.

Overall, $1,033,968 in food assistance payments were allocated to Ida County recipients in 2021.

In 2020, $670,500 was allocated for Ida 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 Ida County 2012-2021

Year	Number of recipients
2012	735
2013	733
2014	685
2015	680
2016	636
2017	570
2018	539
2019	567
2020	554
2021	520