Our Candidate Forum is this week! Will we see you there? Register ➡️ bit.ly/CandidateForum2025

Do you know someone who receives SSI benefits in the mail? They'll need to take action before the end of this month to avoid having their monthly payments withheld. More info:

September is Hunger Action Month. Use this tool from Food Research & Action Center to contact your federal representatives and urge them to take immediate action to reverse harmful SNAP cuts: secure.everyaction.com/xf5JzY9MDEGu...

“These are really, really difficult-to-access programs, really difficult to understand [for local social services staff]. These rules are just making them harder to access and understand,” Hardy said. cardinalnews.org/2025/08/27/s...

TAKE ACTION: Use this tool from our partners at @voicesforvakids.bsky.social to urge your Virginia state representatives to protect Medicaid and SNAP and support low-income families in the face of federal budget cuts. vakids.org/get-involved/take-action

Big changes are coming for student loan borrowers. Our partners at @nclc4consumers.bsky.social put together a clear guide to help you understand what’s changing, how it affects you, and what steps you should take: studentloanborrowerassistance.org/big-bill-mea...

This National Senior Citizens Day, VPLC is highlighting the importance of social safety net programs like Medicare & Social Security in ensuring the wellbeing of older adults in our communities. We must improve access to these programs so they can continue to support older adults in Virginia.

“People are being punished on the back end because the SSA was the one that made the mistake ... You have no time to prepare for this, no time to budget for this. It just really puts people at a huge disadvantage, and it's just fundamentally unfair.” www.wtvr.com/news/local-n...

"This doesn't really address the real issue. . .If we really want to address the issues and make sure people have adequate nutrition, we need to increase SNAP benefits, not limit them." VPLC's Cassie Edner responds to proposed SNAP restrictions: www.wtvr.com/news/local-n...

VPLC's Deepak Madala: "And so, a lot of people will be seeing – even if they receive some of those financial subsidies – increases in the cost of that insurance, unfortunately, starting January 1st." www.wvtf.org/news/2025-08...

Nearly 400,000 SSI beneficiaries living with family or friends experiencing their own financial struggles likely would have their benefits cut—typically by hundreds of dollars per month—or lose eligibility altogether. www.cbpp.org/research/soc...

🎉 Happy 90th birthday to the Social Security Act! Did you know Social Security lifts more people out of poverty than any other program? Learn more about how the programs created by the Social Security Act fight poverty and what we can do to strengthen them: vplc.org/reflections-...

🍎🥫 Durante esta sesión, nuestra anfitriona Amber Poron hablará con Claudia Artiga, especialista de SNAP con VPLC, quien compartirá información sobre la ayuda alimentaria existente a través de programas como SNAP, bancos de comida, etc. en Virginia. ¡Únete a nosotros el 6 de agosto para aprender más!

On the 60th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, learn more about the history of the programs—and the dangerous consequences of Congress's recent budget cuts—in this explainer from the Guardian: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Today marks the 60th anniversary of Medicaid—a program that provides essential health care to millions of Virginians & is now a cornerstone of our health care system. Learn more about the anniversary & how you can help protect Medicaid in this blog: vplc.org/medicaid-at-...

Join us this weekend for this Tenant Rights Legal Pop-up in Richmond. RSVP: bit.ly/TenantRights...

A school gym. A sea of white tents. Free dental care, no insurance needed. This is what healthcare looks like when Remote Area Medical (RAM) comes to town—and for many Virginians, it’s their only access to a doctor or dentist all year. #RAMclinic #HealthAccess #VirginiaHealthcare

Ever wondered if all the fees your landlord is charging are legal, how to get repairs done in your unit, or how to connect with other tenants fighting for change? Stop by our free event on Saturday, July 26 from 11AM-2PM, get your lease reviewed and questions answered. Food will be provided.

SUN Bucks applications are open! Learn more about the program—and which families with school-age kids will need to apply—in this blog post from our partners at @voicesforvakids.bsky.social: vakids.org/posts/sun-bu...

The federal government gave DOGE Affiliates access to your most sensitive information—without telling you. VPLC is in court to stop the overreach and hold them accountable. Read what’s happening and what’s next: vplc.org/medical-and-... #Privacy #DigitalRights #VPLC

Virginia families are facing devastating consequences under a new Senate proposal that would slash SNAP—shifting food costs to states and risking hunger for hundreds of thousands. vplc.org/senate-propo... #SNAP #FoodJustice #PolicyMatters

Did you know? The SUN Meals program provides free meals & snacks to kids during the summer at schools, parks, & other neighborhood locations—no application needed. More info here: www.fns.usda.gov/summer/sunme... Details can change, so we recommend calling ahead before visiting a site on the map!

Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association president Sean Connaughton in the RTD today: "Virginia hospitals are deeply concerned about the damage the Senate proposal would inflict on public health, the health care safety net, the economy and employment." richmond.com/opinion/colu...

If states can't pay, their choices are to drop out of the program or cut SNAP enough that they can afford the cost-share for a much smaller program. Either way, eligible low-income people in the state lose the help they need—it's just a matter of whether it's many or all of them.

First, slashing federal $ for food benefits & imposing those costs as an unfunded mandate on states means some states could cease to have a SNAP program at all, ending a 50-year nationwide commitment to addressing hunger. See how much your state could owe: www.cbpp.org/research/foo...

The Parliamentarian ruled 2 of the most harmful #SNAP cuts in the Senate Republican bill violate the Byrd rule, including an unprecedented cost-shift to states that could end SNAP entirely in parts of the U.S. www.agriculture.senate.gov/newsroom/rep...

Our Richmond Tenant Town Hall is coming up soon! We need to hear from you: what problems are you experiencing as a Richmond renter? Join us on June 25 & help us fight to improve Virginia's housing laws. RSVP here: bit.ly/vplc-tth25

Be part of the fight against hunger today and take action to #ProtectSNAP before the Senate votes on devastating cuts to the vital food assistance program. Here are three advocacy actions you can take today: frac.org/action

The Food Research & Action Center summarized what's included in the Senate's newly released SNAP plan. Read the post for more information and an action alert to contact your Senators: frac.org/blog/senate-...

Virginia's SUN Bucks program will provide a one-time $120 benefit per eligible child starting in July. Here's what to know.

"[W]e can make sure that people fleeing persecution and violence and people who have been subjected to horrific treatment in the U.S., like trafficking or domestic violence, have the resources they need to build a new life and contribute to our nation." www.cbpp.org/blog/turning...

Cuts to SNAP and Medicaid will have far-reaching effects for low-income families. This article explains why the cuts in front of Congress right now would make it harder for hungry children to access free school meals: www.k12dive.com/news/cuts-to...

Richmond renters: we need to hear from you! Join us for a Tenant Town Hall on June 25 to share your experiences and ideas for how we can fight to improve housing laws. Learn more and register: vplc.org/tenant-town-...

A new report estimates 36% of Virginia's children will lose access to food, healthcare, or both if Congress passes devastating cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. Take action by calling and emailing your Senators and asking them to vote NO: vplc.org/take-action/

"It's important to keep those hospitals open, not just for women covered under Medicaid but also for pregnant women in general. If a hospital closes, that affects everybody in the community, no matter what source of coverage you have." www.publicnewsservice.org/2025-05-21/h...

"More than one-third of Virginia’s rural hospitals are operating in the red, and federal threats to Medicaid funding could put many hospitals that mainly serve residents in Southwest and Southside Virginia at risk." www.vpm.org/news/2025-05...

🚨 Congress is proposing cuts to SNAP that would cost Virginia $353 million every year and put vulnerable Virginians at risk of losing critical help with food costs. 🚨 Take action here to contact your representatives & urge them to vote NO on SNAP cuts: secure.everyaction.com/lmBv70YdQkCu...

We’ve been fighting these predatory lenders for a few years in Virginia. We hope @govwesmoore.bsky.social & Marylanders will reject this legislation that creates loopholes for lenders with effective interest rates of more than 100%!

📢📢 At least *13.7 million people* would lose health coverage and become uninsured under the House Republican agenda #Medicaid and #ACA marketplace agenda. Policymakers should protect people’s health care, not cut it.

NEW: Forecasters predict periods of extreme weather in the Northwest will bring the threat of rolling blackouts within the decade if the region’s current energy trends continue. With @opb.org

🥗 This @vplc.bsky.social webinar provided critically important information on the reality of "public charge" and what immigrants and advocates need to know about it.

Congratulations to VPLC's Deputy Director of the Center for Family Advocacy Valerie L'Herrou and board member Joanna Suyes, the winners of the Metropolitan Richmond Women's Bar Association's 2025 Woman of Achievement Award! 🌟 www.mrwba.org/event-6163831

🚨 BREAKING: House Republicans just dropped their budget plan: slash Medicaid to fund more tax breaks for billionaires & greedy corporations. This isn't abstract policy—it's a direct attack on the 72 million people relying on Medicaid for care access. Read more >> commcat.io/3S0btjz

Research from Children's HealthWatch shows that families with children under 4 whose SNAP benefits are cut off or reduced experience worse health outcomes and more hunger. More details in this interview with FRAC: frac.org/blog/part-4-...

Happening soon! Register at bit.ly/public-charge25 to join the training at 1 p.m.

Even billionaires must follow the law. VPLC is taking on the DOGE team & fighting secret data grabs threatening millions. ⚖️ Justice = accountability—no matter how powerful. 💥 Fund the fight: Text SupportJustice to 53-555 or visit www.givebutter.com/JusticeDay2025 #JusticeDay2025

SNAP brought in $140 million to Virginia last year. VPLC is fighting to protect this vital program that supports local economies & helps Virginians put food on the table. Learn what's at stake: tinyurl.com/SNAPCuts Give during VPLC's Justice Day campaign to fuel the fight for food justice in VA.

It’s VPLC’s 2025 Justice Day campaign. Since 1978, VPLC has fought to ensure lower-income Virginians have access to justice. Help us reach our $50,000 goal. Your gift of any amount fuels big change for low-income Virginians. Text SupportJustice to 53-555 or visit tinyurl.com/JusticeDay25.

Since 1978, VPLC has fought for low-income Virginians by: ⚖️ Advocating for change ⚖️ Holding bad actors accountable ⚖️ Empowering people through legal education Help us reach our $50,000 goal for #JusticeDay2025. Every dollar moves justice forward. 🔗 tinyurl.com/JusticeDay25 #FundJusticeNow

"Cassie Edner, public benefits attorney at the Virginia Poverty Law Center, said cuts would make the benefit process and by extension, free school meals, harder for Virginia students." www.publicnewsservice.org/2025-04-25/w...