SE Iowa News

Des Moines County saw a 4.9 percent decrease in the number of residents who participated in Iowa's Food Assistance Program from 2020 to 2021, according to a Des Moines Guide analysis of data from the state's Department of Human Services.

In 2021, 6,324 recipients (3,125 households) in Des Moines County participated in the Program compared to 6,649 recipients (3,224 households) in 2020.

Overall, $12,152,331 in food assistance payments were allocated to Des Moines County recipients in 2021.

In 2020, $9,303,954 was allocated for Des Moines 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 Des Moines County 2012-2021

Year	Number of recipients
2012	8,768
2013	8,789
2014	8,211
2015	7,544
2016	7,240
2017	7,125
2018	6,955
2019	6,649
2020	6,324
2021	5,682