A single deer can feed 200 people - and now Athens County residents in need can reap the benefits because of a national organization's effort to donate deer meat to local food pantries.
Seven food pantries throughout the county began offering deer meat as an option for local residents in September 2008 through the Southeast Ohio Chapter of the Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry organization.
Local hunters donate the meat after it has been processed, which is paid for by the organization, said Jim Hill, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources District Four Division of Wildlife.
This year to-date, the organization is responsible for the donation of 167 deer to the six participating counties in Southeastern Ohio - 67 of which went to Athens County food pantries, said Barbara Rountree, spokeswoman for the Southeast Ohio chapter of the organization.
The national organization, a faith-based group started in 1997, works to feed the hungry through profits obtained by hunting deer, according to Josh Wilson, a spokesman for the organization.
Since its inception, the organization has expanded to 135 coordinators in 25 different states, Wilson said.
There are programs like ours all over the country that have different names
but are essentially doing the same thing Wilson said. We all want to do our part and help those in need.
Although addressing the overpopulation of deer in certain areas is not the organization's primary goal, it does help the problem slightly, Wilson said, adding that dealing with the overpopulation has led to the expansion and awareness of the program.
To ensure good deer meat quality, the organization requires butchers and meat processing plants involved in the process to sign contracts and go through a thorough inspection to participate in the program, Rountree said.
The deer must be legally obtained with proper licenses and tags during the appropriate hunting season to qualify, she added.
The Athens Area Chamber of Commerce is encouraging hunters to join the organization and are working with the division to feed the hungry in Athens, Hill said.
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Bentley Weisel
