Despite a booming economy, a stock market that reached historic heights in the last decade and reports of welfare reform success, wages for many Americans have simply not risen fast enough to cover the increased cost of living. To these Americans, food has become an unaffordable luxury. In the past year, of those people seeking emergency food relief, 35% - that's more than 1 in 3 - had to choose between paying their rent and buying food. 

Based on the Census Bureau survey, USDA estimates that in 2000, 10.5 million U.S. households were food insecure, meaning that they did not have access to enough food to meet their basic needs. About 33 million people lived in these households, including 20 million adults and 13 million children. Hunger in America has, and continues to be, a real problem for a significant part of our population.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one in five children (approximately 15 million) in our nation live at or below the poverty line. In 1997, nearly two-thirds of poor young children lived in working families and young child poverty is growing fastest in the suburbs. In total, an alarming 22% of young children in America live in poverty.

Children who are denied an adequate diet are at a greater risk than other low income children of not reaching their full potential as individuals. Children who are undernourished have trouble concentrating and bonding with other children and are more likely to suffer illnesses that force them to be absent from school. They consistently perform more poorly on standardized tests. Poor performance early in school is a major risk factor for dropping out of school in later years. According to labor statistics, educational attainment is perhaps the greatest indicator of job and income mobility, so the impact of childhood hunger can be lifelong. Studies have also shown time and time again that even mildly undernourished children may potentially suffer abnormal brain, cognitive, and psychological impairment that, if not corrected, can be irreversible. 

Many church feeding programs and soup kitchens tell us that fresh meat is one of the hardest commodities to acquire due to it's high cost ($3 - $5 per pound). It is also more difficult to donate frozen meat. Since venison is low in fat, naturally nutritious and costs about $.25 per serving, it is a perfect low cost substitute for other meats. Additionally, most venison donations go to feed the hungry in the county where the deer was harvested. By supporting FHFH, you provide the help needed to create a bridge between donated venison (a renewable food resource), and the hungry within our communities.

Click here to find out more about how the FHFH ministry works.