North Iowa Reporter

Winnebago County saw an 8 percent decrease in the number of residents who participated in Iowa's Food Assistance Program from 2020 to 2021, according to a Winnebago Guide analysis of data from the state's Department of Human Services.

In 2021, 725 recipients (360 households) in Winnebago County participated in the Program compared to 788 recipients (368 households) in 2020.

Overall, $1,375,243 in food assistance payments were allocated to Winnebago County recipients in 2021.

In 2020, $1,037,653 was allocated for Winnebago 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 Winnebago County 2012-2021

Year	Number of recipients
2012	1,096
2013	1,031
2014	1,056
2015	1,017
2016	944
2017	915
2018	832
2019	788
2020	725
2021	692