Hunters for the Hungry in Virginia is celebrating 25 years of providing meat to food banks and other channels for feeding the hungry. Thousands of people benefit from the program each year.
Gary Arrington with the group says that once hunters have provided for their families they are asking them to harvest an extra deer or two for the hungry,
"We're getting calls from food banks that have seen as much as a 300% increase in the number of folks coming in for assistance and they really could use this high protein, low fat meat which is so valuable to children and the elderly."
So far this season they have received nearly 200 thousand pounds of meat and it goes quickly:
"When we get meat it is already asked for…one case example…we delivered about 2300 pounds to the Feeding America Southwest Virginia Foodbank and they told us that by the next day that would all be gone."
Arrington says that over the past 25 years they have processed and distributed over 6.1 million pounds equaling over 24.4 million servings or meals that have gone to those in need.
“IT is certainly life touching when you see you’ve made a difference in somebody’s life. When the gentleman is standing there with tears coming down both cheeks and a couple packages of venison in his hands... that tells you just what that means...it lets everyone know you are truly making a difference in someone’s life.”
"Hunters for the Hungry" is based in Big Island and serves the entire state.
