ADRIENNE HOAR McGIBBON: Sharon Brown helps run the cafeteria at Powhatan High School.

SHARON BROWN: Well I like cooking and I like being around people.

ADRIENNE HOAR McGIBBON: But when the school closes for the summer, she struggles to afford food.

SHARON BROWN: I tried for unemployment and then they had denied me then.

So I came here and they helped me a little with food and stuff.

>>I'm going to start off with the blood pressure and see what youre running here.

ADRIENNE HOAR McGIBBON: Brown was born with a heart defect, and she's managing high blood pressure and diabetes.

She relies on the Free Clinic of Powhatan to help her access healthier food options.

SHARON BROWN: And then they have, like, a little card that you can use at Walmart to get fresh vegetables and stuff like that.

ADRIENNE HOAR McGIBBON: She's also been coming here for medical care.

SHARON BROWN: Well I tried Medicaid and Medicare and they denied me because they say I make too much money.

ADRIENNE HOAR McGIBBON: Free clinics serve patients like Sharon who have difficulty affording health care because they are uninsured or underinsured.

This free clinic sees about 500 patients coming from Powhatan, Cumberland, Amelia and Chesterfield counties.

ELIZABETH REAM: We are the safety net to the safety net.

ADRIENNE HOAR McGIBBON: They provide primary care, dental, mental health and prescription services, as well as specialist referrals - all free of charge.

ELIZABETH REAM: The group of people that free clinics were set up to serve were people that couldn't get health care other places back in the 1960s.

But now, it's people who just do not have health insurance and can't afford it, or are not offered it through a place of employment.

ADRIENNE HOAR McGIBBON: And clinics like this one are seeing a ballooning increase in need.

In 2023 we went from having around two people looking into becoming a patient here a week to 20.

ADRIENNE HOAR McGIBBON: Advocates say the demand is growing across Virginia.

From 2022 to 2023 free clinics saw 44% growth from 75,000 to 108,000.

The Commonwealths nearly 70 free clinics are supported by charitable giving, grants and state funding.

RUFUS PHILLIPS: You've got a situation in which, in fact, the clinics are going to need more resources if they're going to be able to meet this growing demand.

ADRIENNE HOAR McGIBBON: This year, legislators proposed $4 million for free clinics.

But as budget amendments moved through the chambers, lawmakers cut that number to $500,000.

Care providers say without more support, clinics may need to make cuts.

RUFUS PHILLIPS: Going to have to consider do they scale back a bit at the very time that they need to be scaling up actually.

ADRIENNE HOAR McGIBBON: Back in Powhatan, they've already had to pull back services despite relying on a mostly volunteer health care staff.

ELIZABETH REAM: We have about a $900,000 budget this year, and we will have, at the minimum, $200,000 in donated health care services.

So, a dollar in a free clinic setting goes a very, very long way.

ADRIENNE HOAR McGIBBON: The finalized budget will go into effect in July.

SHARON BROWN:Alright, thank you.

RECEPTIONIST: You're welcome.

ADRIENNE HOAR McGIBBON: Adrienne Hoar McGibbon, VPM News.