SW Iowa Times

Montgomery County saw a 2.5 percent decrease in the number of residents who participated in Iowa's Food Assistance Program from 2019 to 2020, according to a Montgomery Guide analysis of data from the state's Department of Human Services.

In 2020, 1,441 recipients (706 households) in Montgomery County participated in the Program compared to 1,478 recipients (707 households) in 2019.

Overall, $2,745,172 in food assistance payments were allocated to Montgomery County recipients in 2020.

In 2019, $1,935,818 was allocated for Montgomery 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 Montgomery County 2011-2020

Year	Number of recipients
2011	2,050
2012	2,089
2013	2,115
2014	1,943
2015	1,794
2016	1,785
2017	1,705
2018	1,627
2019	1,478
2020	1,441