North Iowa Reporter

Kossuth County saw a 7.1 percent decrease in the number of residents who participated in Iowa's Food Assistance Program from 2020 to 2021, according to a Kossuth Guide analysis of data from the state's Department of Human Services.

In 2021, 909 recipients (470 households) in Kossuth County participated in the Program compared to 978 recipients (475 households) in 2020.

Overall, $1,705,108 in food assistance payments were allocated to Kossuth County recipients in 2021.

In 2020, $1,147,740 was allocated for Kossuth 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 Kossuth County 2012-2021

Year	Number of recipients
2012	1,310
2013	1,358
2014	1,230
2015	1,186
2016	1,126
2017	1,125
2018	1,066
2019	978
2020	909
2021	870