"Hunger is a painful reminder of something that is missing in my life." - Scott, 26 year old Before the pandemic, Virginias Food Banks served nearly one million people on an annual basis. With high unemployment, skyrocketing food prices, diminished access to school meals, and uncertain federal benefits, Virginias Food Banks anticipate a 50% increase in the number of people experiencing food insecurity over the course of the next year. A recent study from Northwestern University Institute for Policy Research estimates that Virginia food insecurity increased from 9.4% in February to 22% in June.