Cedar Rapids Today

Jones County saw a 1 percent increase in the number of residents who participated in Iowa's Food Assistance Program from 2020 to 2021, according to a Jones Guide analysis of data from the state's Department of Human Services.

In 2021, 1,541 recipients (749 households) in Jones County participated in the Program compared to 1,526 recipients (718 households) in 2020.

Overall, $2,932,080 in food assistance payments were allocated to Jones County recipients in 2021.

In 2020, $1,939,271 was allocated for Jones 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 Jones County 2012-2021

Year	Number of recipients
2012	1,915
2013	1,946
2014	1,887
2015	1,841
2016	1,839
2017	1,726
2018	1,603
2019	1,526
2020	1,541
2021	1,455