Dubuque Times

Delaware County saw a 4 percent decrease in the number of residents who participated in Iowa's Food Assistance Program from 2020 to 2021, according to a Delaware Guide analysis of data from the state's Department of Human Services.

In 2021, 1,015 recipients (504 households) in Delaware County participated in the Program compared to 1,057 recipients (519 households) in 2020.

Overall, $1,920,832 in food assistance payments were allocated to Delaware County recipients in 2021.

In 2020, $1,303,178 was allocated for Delaware 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 Delaware County 2012-2021

Year	Number of recipients
2012	1,405
2013	1,401
2014	1,330
2015	1,326
2016	1,323
2017	1,266
2018	1,162
2019	1,057
2020	1,015
2021	969