SW Iowa Times

Page County saw a 6.2 percent decrease in the number of residents who participated in Iowa's Food Assistance Program from 2019 to 2020, according to a Page Guide analysis of data from the state's Department of Human Services.

In 2020, 1,658 recipients (799 households) in Page County participated in the Program compared to 1,768 recipients (837 households) in 2019.

Overall, $3,121,942 in food assistance payments were allocated to Page County recipients in 2020.

In 2019, $2,203,711 was allocated for Page 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 Page County 2011-2020

Year	Number of recipients
2011	2,346
2012	2,376
2013	2,390
2014	2,271
2015	2,176
2016	2,126
2017	2,077
2018	1,924
2019	1,768
2020	1,658