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Holiday Deer Donations Help the Hungry

While this is not a holiday story anyone wants to hear, more people in the United States, including children, are going hungry than ever before in history, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's "Household Food Security" report issued last week.

The annual report revealed that 17 million American households -- 14.6% of households -- were "food insecure" in 2008, the highest level observed since the report was first undertaken in 1995. The numbers represent 49 million Americans, including nearly 17 million children.

The fundamental reason for food insecurity in the U.S. is poverty, which is marked by a lack of resources to address basic needs such as food, shelter and health care, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. He further noted the Obama Administration has taken “aggressive steps” to address poverty through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009, focusing on job creation and training, income support and unemployment insurance and affordable housing.

Groups like Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry, American Deer & Wildlife Alliance (ADWA) and Safari Club International are taking a more direct approach and have promoted venison donations to pantries in many states. Processing and packaging costs can deter some hunters, especially in tough economic times, but ADWA and others are working to offset those expenses.

Ohio, Indiana and Minnesota are among many states that have seen increased donations after they began offering a financial incentive for venison processing. Ohio hunters last year donated more than 1,000 deer — more than double the previous year's total — providing venison for 220,000 meals.

However, not every state is seeing the increased deer donations. The annual Hunt for the Hungry program in Green Bay, Wis., reports its deer donations are down 50 percent from last year.

Lee Dudek, who founded Hunt for the Hungry in 1995, says more people are coming in to get help with food but the number of hunters donating venison is down.

"I imagine hunters are keeping deer to feed their own families,” says Dudek. “I know a lot of guys are helping out friends and family that could use a deer.”

The American Deer & Wildlife Alliance is a proud sponsor of Hunt for the Hungry and encourages other groups and individuals to support Hunt for the Hungry (www.huntforthehungry.com) with their deer or cash donations.