SW Iowa Times

Fremont County saw a 6.8 percent decrease in the number of residents who participated in Iowa's Food Assistance Program from 2020 to 2021, according to a Fremont Guide analysis of data from the state's Department of Human Services.

In 2021, 753 recipients (364 households) in Fremont County participated in the Program compared to 808 recipients (378 households) in 2020.

Overall, $1,417,492 in food assistance payments were allocated to Fremont County recipients in 2021.

In 2020, $1,014,381 was allocated for Fremont 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 Fremont County 2012-2021

Year	Number of recipients
2012	987
2013	1,046
2014	1,046
2015	948
2016	971
2017	961
2018	873
2019	808
2020	753
2021	691