SW Iowa Times

Cass County saw a 5.3 percent decrease in the number of residents who participated in Iowa's Food Assistance Program from 2019 to 2020, according to a Cass Guide analysis of data from the state's Department of Human Services.

In 2020, 1,500 recipients (746 households) in Cass County participated in the Program compared to 1,584 recipients (768 households) in 2019.

Overall, $2,827,839 in food assistance payments were allocated to Cass County recipients in 2020.

In 2019, $1,957,402 was allocated for Cass 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 Cass County 2011-2020

Year	Number of recipients
2011	1,900
2012	1,999
2013	2,050
2014	1,958
2015	1,858
2016	1,790
2017	1,744
2018	1,644
2019	1,584
2020	1,500