Little Elm Area Food Bank Hunger Facts

The Little Elm area has grown from approximately 3,600 residents in 2000 to over 46,548 residents in 2017. The Little Elm Area Food Bank (LEAFB) is a public non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and has been serving our community for 30 years.

The mission of the LEAFB is to provide a two week food supply to Little Elm area residents experiencing a family emergency. In addition, we work to educate the family in crisis about additional sources of long-term assistance at the county and state level. Our programs specifically targets both hunger and food insecurity in our community.

Food insecurity refers to the lack of access to enough food to fully meet basic needs, due to the lack of financial resources. Some people may find themselves skipping meals or cutting back on the quality or quantity of food they purchase at stores. This recurring and involuntary lack of access to food can lead to malnutrition over time.

We measure success one family at a time.

  1. 97 cents of every dollar goes towards getting food on the table for families in our community. We receive no direct support from any local, county, state or federal agencies.
  2. Last year with the help of local churches, schools, civic groups, businesses and fundraisers, we helped more than 2,690 members in our community. More than 1,202 were children under the age of 17.
  3. Approximately 10% of our client base are elderly and require the support of our services throughout the year.
  4. According to the United States Census Bureau, 6.8% of persons who live in Little Elm were below the poverty level. (Source: 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates) https://www.census.gov
  5. In cooperation with school counselors in the Little Elm Independent School District, our Children in School program ensures any child at risk of dropping out of school is helped with food supplies and referral services as needed.
  6. This summer we provided over 11,000 lunches to children in our Kids Eat Free program that would not otherwise have a lunch.
  7. Each year our Food Bank provides food baskets to those in need during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons. Each of these holiday initiatives supports approximately 400 families each holiday season.
  8. Last year, our unpaid volunteers provided over 6,186 hours in maintaining the Food Bank’s operations.
  9. In 2017, the population in Denton County was 836,210 and 7.1% of the population who live in Denton County were below the poverty level.  https://www.census.gov
  10. 60% of food insecure individuals in North Texas last year were employed according to the North Texas Food Bank.