According to a new study from the Federation of Virginia Food Banks, food insecurity is at record highs across the Commonwealth. And as public benefits dry up under President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, food lines are returning to food banks.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Virginia food banks saw a dramatic jump in demand as people lined up for help. But federal benefits grew and food insecurity dropped off.
Now, as new SNAP requirements push about 130,000 Virginia recipients off the program, food lines are back.
The phenomenon comes as a record 42% of Virginians surveyed say they’re facing food insecurity, according to the new report.
“There are food pantries that already have lines around the block and are serving record numbers," Federation of Virginia Food Banks director Eddie Oliver told the press Monday morning. "I know several in Richmond, just here in my neighborhood that, yeah, I think it's a growing issue for sure.”
Oliver said demand ticked up last year as well, when Trump fired tens of thousands of federal employees. In Southside Virginia, Jackie Green-August runs the Total Life Center and Hope Pantry. Learning from COVID-era lines, they tell people to show up early and enter a digital queue.
“We open at 11 o'clock but people come in at 8 to get a number. It’s not just they think we’re going to run out of food, it’s the insecurity part,” Green-August said, noting they're struggling to keep up even with the line system.
“It’s like 11:30, 1 o'clock, and you could go through our 14 refrigerators and freezers and they’re empty,” she added.
Governor Abigail Spanberger put the blame on Trump’s policies and pointed to another number in the new report as a motivator for her voting.
“51% of families with kids at home in Virginia are not always sure how they’re going to put food on the table,” Spanberger told the press after voting Monday morning.
Requests for comment from Republican officials in Virginia were not returned.
Ironically, flipping Congress blue may see an increase in food lines; Federation of Virginia Food Banks' Oliver said the only other times he’s seen food lines return to Virginia was during the last government shutdown, a likely outcome if Democrats retake Congress and Trump stays in the White House.
If you’re facing hunger, you can call 2-1-1, or text FOOD or CONNECT to 247-211, or visit 211 Virginia.
