Richmond’s Food Safety Net

VPM | By Rich Meagher

Published March 5, 2026 at 3:01 PM EST

Bags of food are packaged and sitting in carts, waiting to be picked up. — Waymakers Foundation — a culturally sensitive food bank that was founded in 2020 to provide food to families of immigrants who are in need — is among the recipients of Richmond Health Equity Fund grant money. (Photo: Crixell Matthews/VPM News)

The federal government may be cutting food benefits, drastically – is Richmond ready? What does the safety net for hunger look like in RVA? What COULD it look like, and how do we get there?

Guests:
Eddie Oliver, Federation of Virginia Food Banks
Ayanna Ogaldez and Irina Rogova, MADRVA
Kimberly Battle, VCU School of Nursing

Make sure to follow us on instagram @RichGotIssues and listen on rvasgotissues.vpm.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

About RVA’s Got Issues:

RVA’s Got Issues is VPM’s award-winning podcast that explores the politics and big issues in the news that are defining life in and around Richmond, Virginia. Hosted by Rich Meagher, Professor of Political Science at Randolph-Macon College, this weekly show tackles everything from housing and public transportation to education policy and local government transparency.

Each episode features expert guests who provide insights into Richmond’s biggest issues while offering actionable solutions for community engagement. Whether you’re curious about City Council decisions, school board policies, or how to get involved in local politics, RVA’s Got Issues delivers the knowledge you need to understand what’s happening in your community and what you can do about it.

New episodes drop every Wednesday on all major podcast platforms or at rvasgotissues.vpm.org. You can also join the conversation by sending your questions to [email protected]

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Rich Meagher

Richard J. Meagher [pronounced MARR] is Professor of Political Science, Director of Social Entrepreneurship at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia, and the host of RVA's Got Issues.

Meagher is an expert observer of local and state politics in Richmond and has been featured everywhere from print to television to radio. He is a political analyst for WRIC 8 News, and his commentary and opinion have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and his own RVAPolitics site.

He is also a Faculty Fellow for Brandeis University’s Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation (ENACT), a national program engaging undergraduates in state-level legislative change. Meagher's 2020 book, Local Politics Matters, argues for the importance of participation in city and county politics.

In 2023, he launched the Virginia Amendments Project, a resource for scholars and citizens about amendments to the Constitution of Virginia.

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