{"id":13803,"date":"2026-09-22T12:39:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T12:39:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/virginia\/?p=13803"},"modified":"2026-09-22T17:43:56","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T17:43:56","slug":"the-virginia-hunger-study-alarming-and-heartbreaking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/virginia\/2026\/09\/22\/the-virginia-hunger-study-alarming-and-heartbreaking\/","title":{"rendered":"The Virginia Hunger Study: \u2018Alarming and heartbreaking\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

This Hunger Action Month, new data reveals half of Virginia families with kids are experiencing food insecurity.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The inaugural Virginia Hunger Study engaged more than 5,600 Virginians to understand the prevalence, drivers and health impacts of food insecurity on households. The results highlight that hunger is affecting Virginians at extremely high rates.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

No Kid Hungry Virginia partnered with the Federation of Virginia Food Banks and the Virginia Department of Social Services to field the first statewide, Virginia-only survey to measure food insecurity using the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s (USDA) standard 18-item Household Food Security Survey Module.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The data is important and fills an information gap left after the USDA ended its annual state-level food insecurity estimates in 2025, which had been published for nearly three decades.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The statewide survey finds that 42% of Virginia households were food insecure \u2013 defined as any member of a household lacking consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life \u2013 at some point between May 2025 and May 2026. The study examines food insecurity rates across the seven regional food banks in Virginia.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

No Kid Hungry Virginia Director Sarah Steely shared the following statement about the Virginia Hunger Study:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe latest food insecurity numbers are alarming and heartbreaking. These are our neighbors who are skipping meals or making difficult trade-offs to pay for housing,<\/span><\/i>\u202f<\/span><\/i>healthcare<\/span><\/i>\u202f<\/span><\/i>and transportation costs.<\/span><\/i>\u202f<\/span><\/i>Congress passed the largest and most damaging cuts to SNAP in the program\u2019s history<\/span><\/i>\u202f<\/span><\/i>last year. These cuts, plus high grocery prices and other budget pressures, mean that parents living on low incomes are having to make tough decisions about which basic needs to prioritize and which expenses must be delayed or sacrificed.”<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here are four things to know about the Virginia Hunger Study and its implications.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Food insecurity is more severe among households with children.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Food insecurity rates are even higher among households with children: 51% of families with kids were food insecure.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a breakdown of food insecurity in households with children across the seven food bank service areas:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n