Tennessee Wildlife Federation's Hunters for the Hungry (HFTH) is reporting its best season for the donation of white-tailed deer by Tennessee hunters in the program's 18-year history.
HFTH Manager Matt Simcox says hunters donated more than 140,000 pounds of venison to participating wild game processors in Tennessee over the 2015-16 season, resulting in some 576,000 healthy meals for Tennesseans in need, many of them children.
Mr. Simcox added that individual gifts to the program allowed most of the 83 processors in the program to process the animals free of charge to the hunter. Southeast Tennessee area legislators, including Senator Mike Bell (Senate District 9), Senator Todd Gardenhire (Senate District 10), and Representatives Kevin Brooks (House District 24), John Forgety (House District 23), Dan Howell (House District 22) and Jimmy Matlock (House District 21), made gifts to support processing in and near their home counties. With their support, Hunters for the Hungry provided over 13,000 meals in their district.
"It would be impossible to accomplish this without the giving spirit of our hunting community, the wild game processors in our program, and leaders in Tennessee, like our own legislators," said Mr. Simcox. "Every year, I'm amazed at how much can be accomplished through this concerted effort."
Launched in 1998, HFTH connects white-tailed deer hunters with area wild-game processors who prepare venison for free or at a reduced rate to the hunter. The venison is then picked up by local food banks or soup kitchens where the highly valued protein is often served in dishes like chili or spaghetti sauce.
"We can't thank Tennessee's hunters and participating processors enough," said Mr. Simcox. "Our state’s sportsmen and women made personal sacrifices so they could support their neighbors in crisis, even when they might need the venison for themselves. In some cases, our donated venison is the only reliable source of protein these food banks get throughout the year and is a critical component to how they plan and prepare their meals."
Founded in 1946, the Tennessee Wildlife Federation's mission is to lead the conservation, sound management, and wise use of Tennessee's Great Outdoors. To learn more about TWF and Hunters for the Hungry, visit www.tnwf.org.