NE Iowa News

Chickasaw County saw an 8.4 percent decrease in the number of residents who participated in Iowa's Food Assistance Program from 2020 to 2021, according to a Chickasaw Guide analysis of data from the state's Department of Human Services.

In 2021, 651 recipients (297 households) in Chickasaw County participated in the Program compared to 711 recipients (315 households) in 2020.

Overall, $1,209,565 in food assistance payments were allocated to Chickasaw County recipients in 2021.

In 2020, $815,106 was allocated for Chickasaw 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 Chickasaw County 2012-2021

Year	Number of recipients
2012	1,001
2013	1,088
2014	942
2015	926
2016	980
2017	892
2018	814
2019	711
2020	651
2021	605