North Iowa Reporter

Bremer County saw a 1.7 percent decrease in the number of residents who participated in Iowa's Food Assistance Program from 2019 to 2020, according to a Bremer Guide analysis of data from the state's Department of Human Services.

In 2020, 1,128 recipients (529 households) in Bremer County participated in the Program compared to 1,148 recipients (535 households) in 2019.

Overall, $2,093,421 in food assistance payments were allocated to Bremer County recipients in 2020.

In 2019, $1,347,847 was allocated for Bremer 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 Bremer County 2011-2020

Year	Number of recipients
2011	1,290
2012	1,393
2013	1,405
2014	1,424
2015	1,401
2016	1,366
2017	1,290
2018	1,190
2019	1,148
2020	1,128