Central Iowa Times

Pocahontas County saw a 5 percent decrease in the number of residents who participated in Iowa's Food Assistance Program from 2020 to 2021, according to a Pocahontas Guide analysis of data from the state's Department of Human Services.

In 2021, 594 recipients (269 households) in Pocahontas County participated in the Program compared to 625 recipients (281 households) in 2020.

Overall, $1,109,907 in food assistance payments were allocated to Pocahontas County recipients in 2021.

In 2020, $734,554 was allocated for Pocahontas 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 Pocahontas County 2012-2021

Year	Number of recipients
2012	972
2013	1,001
2014	946
2015	888
2016	903
2017	850
2018	740
2019	625
2020	594
2021	605