Groups and organizations are uniting to provide food for people in need in Ohio. 
 
Kathi Albertson, Coordinator for Guernsey County FHFH in Ohio, contacted the Guernsey County Farm Bureau for suggestions about how to purchase discounted meat from local farmers.
 
Guernsey County Farm Bureau board member Garry Burroughs contacted Randy Raber of Red Hill Farm and owner of The Bears Den and 360 Burger.  That contact resulted in the donation of a steer to FHFH who will pay the meat processing fee.  Meat from the steer will be donated to Grace Food Pantry. 
 
Another Guernsey County Farm Bureau board member donated a hog to FHFH.  The meat will be distributed to food banks, food pantries and feeding ministries who serve people in need in Noble County.
 
The full story published by The Daily Jeff on April 21, 2020 can be viewed at https://www.daily-jeff.com/news/20200421/steer-hog-donations-to-help-feed-community

 "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ...."  Matthew 25:35  
​
Helping Our Neighbors 
  
During this unprecedented time the number of people struggling with hunger is increasing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The already existing millions of people who have struggled with food insecurity are affected as well as additional people who have suffered a loss of income. Those struggling with hunger include the most vulnerable - children and seniors.
 
A loss of income could change people's eating patterns, resulting in poorer nutrition.  Adequate and balanced nutrition is needed for a well-functioning immune system for everyone and for growth in children. Protein is a vital component of a balanced diet.
 
When there is inadequate income to purchase the amount and quality of food for a balanced healthy diet, people often turn to food banks, food pantries and feeding ministries. Unfortunately, food banks, food pantries and other feeding programs often list meat and protein items among their top food donation needs.
 
Farmers and Hunters Feeding the hungry has provided more than 20.5 MILLION servings of meat to food banks, food pantries and feeding ministries since 1997! ​

The FHFH team is a group of compassionate individuals dedicated to helping our neighbors struggling with hunger. Our team consists of local volunteer chapter coordinators, participating meat processors, hunters and farmers who donate deer and livestock, and generous financial donors. The financial gifts pay the meat processing fees so there is no cost to the hunter or farmer to donate or to the food banks, food pantries or feeding groups to receive the much needed meat.
 
In this increasing time of need, please consider helping others who are struggling to get enough to eat.

• Donate deer or livestock. CLICK HERE for a list of our participating meat processors.
• Make a financial gift. CLICK HERE to make a secure on-line donation. Your donations are tax deductible.

Our hearts and prayers go out for everyone affected by COVID-19. Together, we can help each other get through this difficult time and help ensure people in our communities have enough to eat.
  
Thank you for your continued interest in our mission of feeding the hungry. ​

The Pastor at Shepherds Christian Assembly in Coshocton, Ohio expressed appreciation to FHFH for the meat donations to their soup kitchen. 
 
"What a continued blessing FHFH is to our Lord's ministry. We are still serving lunch at our soup kitchen, but with limited seating. We serve only nine at a time six feet apart, then we bleach everything when they are finished and bring in the next ones. We serve an average of 25 people during these restricted times. We are also making venison meatloaf and giving it to those in need. Thank you again for following the leading of the Lord for FHFH."

Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH) has earned the 2020 Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest level of recognition offered by GuideStar, a service of Candid. By sharing metrics that highlight progress FHFH is making toward its mission, the organization is helping donors utilize methods of nonprofit evaluation that go beyond simplistic overhead ratios.
 
"In accordance with our long-held belief in being transparent about our work,” said Josh Wilson, Executive Director, “we are excited to convey our organization’s results in a user-friendly and highly visual manner. By updating our GuideStar Nonprofit Profile to the Platinum level, we can now easily share a wealth of up-to-date organizational metrics with our supporters as well as GuideStar's immense online audience, which includes donors, grantmakers, our peers, and the media."
 
To reach the Platinum level, FHFH added extensive information to its Nonprofit Profile on GuideStar: basic contact and organizational information; in-depth financial information; qualitative information about goals, strategies, and capabilities; and quantitative information about results and progress toward 4 its mission. By taking the time to provide this information, FHFH has demonstrated its commitment to transparency and to giving donors and funders meaningful data to evaluate nonprofit performance.
 
You are encouraged to visit our profile on GuideStar. FHFH is thrilled that our GuideStar Platinum Nonprofit Profile and its associated benefits help us better communicate our organization’s exciting initiatives at a global scale.
 
In February 2019, GuideStar joined forces with Foundation Center to form Candid, a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Today, GuideStar is a service of Candid. The GuideStar database contains a profile for every tax-exempt nonprofit registered with the IRS. The profiles are populated with information directly from nonprofits, the IRS, and other partners in the nonprofit sector.