SW Iowa Times

Shelby County saw a 0.9 percent decrease in the number of residents who participated in Iowa's Food Assistance Program from 2019 to 2020, according to a Shelby Guide analysis of data from the state's Department of Human Services.

In 2020, 903 recipients (431 households) in Shelby County participated in the Program compared to 911 recipients (434 households) in 2019.

Overall, $1,704,235 in food assistance payments were allocated to Shelby County recipients in 2020.

In 2019, $1,093,938 was allocated for Shelby 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 Shelby County 2011-2020

Year	Number of recipients
2011	1,114
2012	1,189
2013	1,231
2014	1,172
2015	1,116
2016	1,088
2017	1,042
2018	988
2019	911
2020	903