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Just last week, the first Virginia Hunger Study was released, and the findings were not good.
The study, conducted by the nonprofit No Kid Hungry Virginia, the Federation of Virginia Food Banks and the Virginia Department of Social Services, found that 42% of Virginia households were “food insecure.” That’s defined as “any member of a household lacking consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.” That number climbs to 51% when looking at households with children.
It’s an alarming trend spurred largely by rising costs and unprecedented federal funding cuts to food assistance.
But local communities are already responding.
Our Editor-at-Large Bonnie Newman Davis spent some time with organizers, volunteers and patrons of the Fluvanna Leaders for Race & Diversity food pantry, which provides food to residents from Fluvanna, Goochland, Cumberland, Buckingham and Louisa counties as well as the City of Charlottesville. One resident put it very plainly: “It’s either come here or not eat.”
‘It’s either come here or not eat’: How a local food pantry feeds Fluvanna and its neighbors
The 2025 budget reconciliation bill, also known as H.R. 1 and dubbed the “one big beautiful bill” by President Donald Trump, was passed by Congress and signed into law in July 2025. It made many sweeping budgetary changes, including funding cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
More specifically, it included nearly $200 billion in cuts to SNAP, the biggest budget reduction in the program’s history, according to the Virginia Hunger Study. Meanwhile, research led by the United Way shows that basic cost-of-living expenses such as housing, child care, food, transportation and healthcare are growing faster than inflation in Virginia. Other research such as MIT’s Living Wage Calculator shows that expenses are also growing faster than wages in the state.
The result is a lot of central Virginia families struggling to make ends meet.
Health and Safety Reporter Anastasiia Carrier spoke to local food banks back in September 2025, and at the time they were concerned about the coming SNAP changes and reported that they were already seeing rising demand due to cost-of-living increases.
From September 2025: Local food banks brace for SNAP eligibility changes that are predicted to impact thousands in Virginia
The situation worsened in late 2025 with the federal government shutdown cutting off SNAP benefits entirely, which led then-Gov. Glenn Youngkin to launch an emergency food assistance program in late October.
And while it’s been a challenging year for many, our editorial team has also seen a lot of communities coming together to provide more resources for their neighbors.
Andra Landi has covered stories on this topic from around central Virginia, including how The Orange County Free Clinic joined the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank’s Food Pharmacy program to improve access to healthy food in that county. She also reported on how two Orange food pantries recently got a much-needed funding boost, and how Gordonsville officials established new donation sites for food and clothing in March of this year.
And as Allie Pitchon reported last month, Charlottesville resident Olivia Hathaway created a “Food Map of the Valley,” which is designed to bring hundreds of food resources across the region into one searchable place.
In the case of Fluvanna Leaders for Race & Diversity, the group began as a way to increase awareness of racial issues but then grew into an organization looking to help the broader community in a variety of ways. As Bonnie reports, that included helping small businesses and minorities apply for COVID-era assistance and a COVID vaccination drive before the opening of the food pantry. Give her story a read to learn more.
And if you need food assistance, scroll down for more about the Fluvanna food pantry, the Food Map of the Valley and other local resources.
Stay safe and take care of each other,
Akash Sinha, Managing Editor
Find resources for food assistance near you
The Fluvanna Leaders for Race & Diversity (FLRD) Community Food Pantry is currently located in the annex of the Fluvanna County School Board office at 14455 James Madison Hwy in Palmyra. The pantry serves residents in Fluvanna, Goochland, Cumberland, Buckingham and Louisa counties as well as the City of Charlottesville. It is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
You can also use the “Food Map of the Valley” to find community food resources — from local farms to food pantries — close to you. The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank also maintains a searchable map of pantries in its service area. You can also dial 211 to find more food banks and pantries or chat or email Virginia 211 for assistance.
