RICHMOND, Va. — Thousands of Virginia families have lost access to SNAP benefits over the past year, and food banks are working to fill the growing need.
According to the Virginia Department of Social Services, more than 100,000 fewer Virginians are receiving SNAP benefits than they were a year ago — a decline that came one year after Congress approved major changes to the program.
Aaron McClung, FeedMore's chief development and health strategy officer, said Central Virginia has been hit especially hard.
"Chesterfield's about a decrease in about 15% of folks that are on SNAP. Hanover almost 13%, Henrico almost over 18%, and Richmond close to 14%," McClung said.
FeedMore, a Richmond-area nonprofit, is working to make sure families have food to put on their plates as demand for charitable food programs increases.
"We saw a 14.4% decline from July of last year to June of this past year," McClung said.
Food bank leaders say the decline is forcing some households that rely on those benefits to make difficult decisions, driving up demand for charitable food programs and donations.
McClung said children are among those most at risk.
"With SNAP, a lot of kids are beneficiaries of this program, and if they're not able to access that food, school's out, so there's a lot of concern on our part about the most vulnerable in our community," McClung said.
Advocates say stricter eligibility requirements and confusion surrounding recent policy changes may be contributing to the drop in enrollment. Virginia lawmakers have taken steps to allocate more money toward SNAP in the state budget, covering costs previously paid by the federal government.
McClung said the pressure on families is only expected to grow.
"People are stretched today, but putting additional pressures on those that just can't make ends meet today. We know it's going to be more pronounced in the future," McClung said.
FeedMore is encouraging families to review their eligibility for SNAP and other nutrition programs, including SUN Bucks and free or reduced-price school meal programs.
Governor Spanberger has said she plans to organize roundtable discussions with community groups to help bridge the gap and find ways to help those impacted.
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