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Alex resident uses passion for hunting to help
the hungry
By LYNELLE MILLER
Mark Saicheck has been a hunter all of his life. “It’s not just a
hobby, it’s what I do,” he said. When Hurricanes Rita and Katrina hit,
Saicheck, a letter carrier in Alexandria, wanted desperately to give
his time to help, but found it impossible. “I felt I needed to do
something,” he said. While talking with his supervisor at work, he was
given a card with information about Farmers and Hunters Feeding the
Hungry (FHFH), a national outreach ministry of Christians who help
feed venison and other big game to the hungry. “It’s a Christian
ministry with no agenda other than feeding the hungry,” said Saicheck.
With approximately six chapters in Indiana and 90 nationwide, FHFH is
designed to disperse donated meat to local food banks, soup kitchens
and organizations.
Saicheck decided to begin a Madison County chapter last September and
in only a few months was able to donate more than 300 pounds to the
food bank, as well as local organizations that distribute food in
Alexandria. “Each chapter raises its own money (to process the meat),”
said Saicheck. “If a hunter wants to donate a deer, they can take it
to Circle A Meats (on Indiana 9 north of Alexandria) and we contract
at a negotiated price of $50 a deer. They process and freeze it.”
According to the Department of Natural Resources, 125,500 deer were
harvested in 2005, 549 of them in Madison County. Saicheck estimates
$4,000 will be needed to process donated meat this year.
Last Saturday, an archery tournament at Girt’s Archery & Outfitters,
1420 Main St. in Anderson, benefited Madison County FHFH. “(The
tournament) went really well,” said Saicheck. “We made about $500.”
With more than 30 people registered, he was pleased with the turnout
and support. FHFH also helps control the deer population and gives
hunters who would otherwise not use the deer meat or be able to pay
for processing a killed deer an opportunity to hunt more, as allowed
by DNR bag limits. “The deer population in Indiana is on an
exponential increase,” said Saicheck. “A herd of 450,000 deer is
estimated in Indiana. One deer will eat about 3/4 ton of vegetation.
Most of the time that’s crops. We’re actually helping.” Farmers often
obtain hunting licenses to stop deer from eating their crops. FHFH
encourages those farmers to donate the animal to help the hungry.
Approximately 50 pounds of meat can be taken off a deer. “Made in
spaghetti or chili, it can feed 200 people at 25 cents per serving,”
said Saicheck. “(Venison) has two times the protein (than beef) and
less fat than chicken, so it’s good for you.” There is no membership
commitment for farmers and hunters wanting to donate to the program
and all the proceeds raised goes to process the meat. “No one gets
paid,” said Saicheck. “This is strictly volunteer.” Although it takes
a lot of time, Saicheck said he has had good help. John Carroll, who
owns Carroll’s Archery in Alexandria and has donated deer, said
Saicheck has gone above and beyond to make Madison County FHFH a
success. “This is one of the best things they’ve come up with, I love
it,” said Carroll. “If you love to hunt, often times you can’t use all
the meat and it costs between $60 and $70 per deer. When I donate, I
can still hunt, but don’t have to pay the process bill. For the true
hunter, this is one of the best programs they have ever come up with.”
Saicheck said the residents of Alexandria have really extended help by
donating deer as well as contributing monetary donations and that he
hopes to involve surrounding communities in years to come including
Elwood, Anderson and Muncie. “Raising money is hard,” he said. “This
is a Madison County chapter, not just Alexandria.” For the future,
Saicheck is planning more fundraising events and hopes to hold a large
banquet this year to reach more people.
At a glance...
For more information on how to donate deer or to inquire about
volunteering for Madison County Farmers and Hunters Feeding the
Hungry, contact Mark Saicheck, chapter coordinator, at 724-3918 or
724-3628 or by e-mail at msaicheck@sbcglobal.net or visit www.fhfh.org.
By the numbers...2005 statistics for Farmers And Hunters Feeding The
Hungry in Indiana
211 — donated deer
10,500 — approximate pounds of meat from the donated deer
150,000 — number of approximate meals served from the donated meat
25 — approximate cost (in cents) per meal
$37,000 — projected funding needed in Indiana for 2006 to process
donated deer
How FHFH works...
FHFH works with local butcher shops that are USDA or health department
inspected and are willing to accept and process deer donated by
hunters and landowners. The packaged meat is then distributed to local
food banks, homeless shelters and soup kitchens. The butcher sends the
bills for processing the meat, usually about $50 per deer, to the FHFH
local coordinator for payment. The FHFH raises money through a variety
of events and campaigns to cover the costs. For every $50 raised,
approximately 200 meals can be provided to the hungry.
Information provided by www.fhfh.org
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