Food insecurity is a growing problem in the Ranch Cities area.
That was the overview given by Kim Groff of Lovepacs Aubrey and Lovepacs Pilot Point to the Lake Ray Roberts Rotary Club on Oct. 20.
"Texas is the leading state with the greatest population of food insecure people, and actually our area right here is kind of the bullseye for that," she said. "Food insecurity isn't equal to poverty. It doesn't mean poverty It means that you're not 100% sure that you're going to have access to enough food or healthy food or adequate food for your family." Lovepacs is one of the area organizations trying to make a dent in that issue.
She said when families are facing tough financial decisions, especially with climbing fixed bills, "food is one that you have flexibility on."
During the 2025-26 school year, the organization provided 2,556 weekend bags and 294 boxes to Pilot Point families in need, which amounted to roughly $17,900 worth of food, Groff said.
The numbers for the Aubrey ISD and Denton ISD schools the pantry in Krugerville serves were greater than that.
"What we try to do is provide food for children when they're not in school," Groff said. "That's our target, is to provide for long weekends or especially the Thanksgiving, the Christmas, the spring break [holidays] when they're not going to have access to that lunch and breakfast at school."
Of the 330 weekly bags the local Lovepacs chapter provides, about 59 go to Pilot Point families.
That need keeps growing, Groff added.
"It's just inching up," she said. "I don't think that captures the need fully, but there's a lot of factors involved. Their counselors have to work with families, and students have to be identified, and it builds as the [school year] goes."
Groff projected that the organization will need to distribute 110 boxes for Thanksgiving to the Pilot Point ISD schools.
Following Groff's presentation, the Lake Ray Roberts Rotary Club President Brian Murrell presented her with a $500 donation from the club.
The following week, the Rotarians brought food donations to help fill 10 boxes that Lovepacs will distribute to Pilot Point, Aubrey or Denton ISD schools in the area for Thanksgiving.
Glory Huerta of Lovepacs Aubrey and Lovepacs Pilot Point helped show the Rotarians the most efficient way to pack each box while protecting any of the food that could break inside the box on Tuesday.
"We really appreciate your partnership, and we really appreciate that you are showing up in the community, and you are not just sitting down watching other people do," Huerta said. "You are doers, so God bless you all."
