News and Events - Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry - Hunt Down Hunger!

Feeding Hungry Students and families

6/24/2021

FHFH distributes meat to children and families struggling with hunger in Wicomico County, Maryland through a partnership with a local school food bank. We received the following letter from a parent whose family benefitted from the meat provided by hunters this past season...

I want to thank you for helping our family with food provisions including deer meat. Being single and helping my sister raise her 6 children can be quite challenging. From a nutritional perspective, the deer meat provided protein without fat and added chemicals that donated processed meat contains. The deer meat provides the same flexibility in different meals that beef provides, only it is much healthier. Our family enjoyed the meat especially when we used it in chili. Each pack of meat fed 8 people with some left over to partially feed lunch meal the next day.

I also helped deliver food boxes that contained the deer meat to other homes in our school community. Many of these families had no transportation to come to the school to pick up the meals. A memory I will never forget was when we were knocking on a trailer door. It seemed no one would answer so we left it on the steps. It was cold and we weren’t worried about it spoiling. As we were stepping away, a little girl about 11 or 12 opened the door, saw the boxes and shouted excitedly into the trailer, “We’ve got food!”

Supporting the people who provide the deer meat is a much needed essential in our community. The deer is plentiful, and hunters who reach their limit often donate the deer knowing it can be used in local food banks. But there are no processing plants to turn the deer into food for the table. Nor would we want that as it would remove the clean natural healthy chemical free protein that deer meat provides. The flexibility of meals with the meat makes it a choice meat.

We also received three wonderful thank you notes from students whose families received deer meat through the program...

These messages are a blessing and a testament to the good work being accomplished by the volunteers, hunters, financial donors, and participating meat processors in Wicomico County, Maryland. This is just one example of the impact our ministry is having in many local communities!

How Bad Can Hunger Get?

6/3/2021

We’ve all felt hungry at times due to eating late or missing a meal now and then. For people who face hunger on a daily basis it’s very different. They may skip a meal or two or may go an entire day without eating. People struggling with hunger often turn to food banks and feeding ministries for help. Sometimes their hunger can make them desperate.

In the early days of our ministry, my dad (FHFH Founder Rick Wilson) was visiting a Baltimore soup kitchen. The people he met were delighted with the quality of the venison spaghetti sauce being served even though wild game was not a familiar item. Rick asked a little girl who was devouring her meal how she liked it and she told him that it was better than McDonald’s. Rick’s heart broke when the cook explained, "I know that family. They eat from trash dumpsters behind local restaurants."

No one should have to eat out of a dumpster to keep from going hungry!
Protein is a vital component of a balanced diet for proper growth and good health.
This is especially important for the physical and cognitive development of children, and for maintaining a strong immune response in all age groups.

The grip of COVID-19 on our nation finally seems to be weakening. However the lingering impact of lost jobs and wages continues to affect many individuals, families and children. Food banks and other feeding ministries continue to list meat and protein items among their top food donation needs. That's where FHFH is making a difference!

We provide nutritious meat from game and livestock donations to food banks and feeding ministries. Did you know that one deer, processed into burger can be prepared in a soup kitchen to feed 200 hungry people?

Financial gifts to FHFH help us pay local butchers to process donated deer and livestock. There is no cost to the hunters and farmers who donate or to the men, women and children who are fed.

Please consider donating deer or livestock or giving a financial gift to FHFH today. May no one ever again have to eat out of a dumpster to keep from going hungry!

Thank you for your support of our ministry of feeding the hungry.

Josh Wilson
Executive Director

Mid-Shore Community Foundation Provides Funding to FHFH

5/27/2021

The Mid-Shore Community Foundation has awarded $5,000 in grant funding to FHFH for chapters serving Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne's and Talbot counties in Maryland.
This funding will assist FHFH in providing nutritious meat to the food banks and feeding ministries for the hungry people in those counties.

On behalf of those in Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne's and Talbot counties who struggle with hunger, we thank the Mid-Shore Community Foundation for their generosity and support of our mission to end hunger.

Established in 1992, the Mid-Shore Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that connects private resources with public needs to enhance the quality of life throughout the Mid-Shore Region of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties. The Foundation works with donors to establish funds for the region - funds that are distributed as grants and scholarships, provides training programs and endowment management services to area nonprofits, and supports start‐up charities and local charitable projects through fiscal sponsorship.

Inspired by a passion for the hunt and compassion for the hungry, FHFH is committed to addressing the problem of hunger in America. Since 1997 FHFH has provided over 21.2 million servings of meat to those in need.

Ending Hunger - A Student's Perspective

4/22/2021

Josiah, a fifth grade student in Michigan, wrote this persuasive paper about FHFH and ending hunger in America...

Goodbye Hunger

Did you know that one deer can make 200 meals? Every day people go hungry. According to Feeding America, “1 in 9 Americans struggles with hunger.” (https://www.fhfh.org/hunger-in-america) I think, to help with hunger in MI and my community, farmers and hunters should donate their extra deer, game, and livestock to Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry.

In 2014, 66% of households in America, had to choose between going to the doctor or buying food. In America, more than 35 million people lack the confidence of where their food will come from. 1 in 7 kids have no idea where their next meal will come from. Just in Southeast Michigan alone, more than 614,000 people don’t know where their next meal will come from. (feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/michigan) That’s when Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry, also known as FHFH, come in to help. (fhfh.org/hunger-in-america)

What is Farmers and Hunters Feeding America you may ask? It is an organization, started in 1997, which provides meat to food banks and communities throughout America. Did you know that Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry provided 441,840 servings just from 2020 through 2021. I think farmers and hunters should donate some of their meat because people go hungry. People even die because of hunger. I think if we can help stop hunger in America, then why shouldn’t we? Donating to FHFH is easy and can be satisfying.

Donating to Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry is an easy way to donate food to help the hungry while still enjoying hunting and farming. It costs nothing to donate a deer, game and, cattle as long as you donate them to a Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry approved butcher. There is only one participating butcher in Michigan. All the work of processing deer, game and cattle is taken care of by Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. This organization benefits you by saving you the work of having to process, package, and freeze meat. You can also write the donation off on your taxes. Even kids can donate.

People can get involved with Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry in many ways. First, local butchers can become participating butchers to help their community. Next, you can become a coordinator for your community to bring Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry to your local community. You can learn to hunt so you can donate your meat to FHFH to help people with meals. You can purchase gifts from the gift shop at www.fhfh.org and all of the money goes to helping people who are in need of food services. Even companies like Cabela's and Mossy Oak support FHFH.

In my opinion, people should donate their extra venison, cattle and game to Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. First, there are a lot of people going hungry each day in our country. It could be your neighbor or it could be someone across the country. It is easy to donate to Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. It does not cost anything for the person donating. Last, it can be rewarding to any person no matter their age. (fhfh.org/hunger-in-america)

Works Cited:

Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. ”Hunger in America.” Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry, 2021, fhfh.org/hunger-in-america.html.
Feeding America, “Hunger in Michigan.” Feeding America, 2021, feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/Michigan.

FHFH Donates Over 500 Pounds of Venison to Jericho House

4/8/2021

The North Georgia Foothills FHFH chapter (GA-08) serving Forsyth, Dawson and Hall counties of Georgia celebrated its 2nd year affiliation with The Jericho House through FHFH's meat processor, Southers Deer Processors of Murrayville, GA.

Joe Schuster, FHFH coordinator for North Georgia Foothills, shared this about the importance of the donating venison to organizations such as The Jericho House:

Jericho House is a Christ-centered drug and alcohol recovery program located in the beautiful Sautee Nacoochee valley in the mountains of North Georgia. It ministers healing and restoration to men caught in addiction using biblical counseling, teaching, small groups and work programs.

In January of 2020, my participating meat processor Chuck Cotzer, asked if we could direct our meat donation to someone he knew with an admirable program - Larry McKenna of Jericho House. I contacted Larry to offer some meat and he immediately replied with a hearty 'yes and thank you!' I checked in with Larry recently to learn more about how he and Chuck had gotten to know each other...

"Joe, a few years back I met my friend and someone that I call my brother, Chuck, as we shared a mutual love for motorcycles. From there we learned that we had common interest in hunting and harvesting deer. I have hunted north Georgia and have brought all my deer to be processed through his processing,' said Larry. 'I also got to know that Chuck has a big heart for those in need and now we have been blessed to receive a bounty of deer meat thanks to you and Chuck. The food aids us in our budget for feeding 25 men in our recovery program and we are truly thankful!"

This past year, Joe and our North Georgia Foothills chapter donated over 500 pounds of venison to assist with the food budget of Jericho House! To learn more about the Jericho House, visit them online at www.thejerichohouse.org.

Your Giving Puts Meat On the Table!

3/29/2021

Over 5.6 million dollars! That's the cost for processing over 100,000 donated deer and livestock into 21 million meat servings for the needy over the past 24 years. The Lord has made this possible through the faithful support of generous people like you!

Our ministry began in 1997 after Rick Wilson stopped to help a woman retrieving a deer from the roadside to feed her hungry children. And so began an incredible journey - a mission to feed God’s hungry children using hunter harvested deer - that would go on to involve thousands and feed millions!

You can renew your support - or make your first donation to our ministry - with a tax deductible gift today! Your gift will help us continue putting meat on the table for needy individuals, children and families. We pay the meat processing costs to local participating butcher shops. The meat is distributed through local food banks and feeding ministries who are grateful for the help. Here's what some of them have said...

"Thank you so much for remembering our food pantry with the donation of ground venison from FHFH. We were almost out when you called and offered the meat to us. Just about everybody that comes to the pantry wants a pound or two of venison each visit."

"Every week we are able to give out fresh produce and frozen meat to our clients thanks to contributions from groups like FHFH. Just last Wednesday we had 3,000 pounds of venison to distribute to our neighbors in need thanks to the hard work of these local hunters!"

On behalf of our partnering food banks, feeding ministries, and all those in our country suffering from hunger, we THANK YOU for your support!

Food Pantry in Indiana Grateful for Venison Donations

2/22/2021

Bloomfield Food Pantry is a community wide service in Indiana administered by the Bloomfield Baptist Church to provide food to those in need. The food pantry covers 600 square feet of space in the CLC and utilizes multiple freezers and refrigerators. They are staffed entirely by volunteers from several different churches in the Bloomfield area.

Each December they distribute “White Christmas” food boxes, on a first come, first served basis, to families in need so that they may enjoy a special holiday meal. Per month, they see an average of 90 different families come through their food pantry. Many of these families have an ongoing need and are repeat customers.

Bloomfield Food Pantry sent us a thank you note for the donation of venison to their food pantry by FHFH.

Thank you so much for remembering our food pantry with the donation of ground venison from FHFH. We were almost out when you called and offered the meat to us. Just about everybody that comes to the pantry wants a pound or two of venison each visit.

You have blessed so many families through the FHFH organization giving us the meat. This year has been a rough one for many families, but FHFH supplied meat that was much needed. Again, thank you and God bless you and the members of Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry.

~ The members of the Bloomfield Food Pantry

We thank the hunters who donated deer to Greene County FHFH to help feed their hungry neighbors!

Generous Youth in Indiana Donates Buck and Doe to FHFH

2/22/2021

In 2019, Andrew in Indiana shot and donated a button buck to FHFH for the local food pantry. He also harvested a nice 13 point that he kept for a mount. With his donation Andrew was entered into a contest for a gift card which he won! The gift card was used to purchase a new hunting rifle that he used in 2020 to shoot two does and another large buck – this time a 9-point that is in the process of being mounted as well. He donated the buck along with one of the does to FHFH. He just had both bucks measured and scored. The one from 2019 was 155 7/8 and the one from 2020 was 153 1/8.

We received this note from Andrew in appreciation for the gift card:

Thank you for giving me the gift card (from the contest) last year. I used it to get a 350-Legend. I shot my big buck this year with it and two more does to get my limit. It has been a big help this year and will help for years to come. I donated the buck and one of my two does because we don’t need a lot of meat and it is for a good cause. ~ Andrew

Andrew loves hunting, and his family appreciates having the opportunity to donate the meat locally to help feed those in need once their own freezer is full. Andrew is an honor roll freshman, runs varsity cross country, participates in 4-H and FFA, and he loves hunting, trapping, fishing, forging, and welding. Now he’s added “feeding the hungry” to his young list of accomplishments!

Thank you Andrew for donating your buck and doe to FHFH and helping to feed the hungry people in your community!

Funding Provided to FHFH by the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore

2/18/2021

The Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore has awarded $1,500 funding to the Wicomico County, Maryland Chapter of Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry! This funding will provide 3,000 servings of nutritious meat to the food banks and feeding programs that feed the people of Wicomico County who are in need.

On behalf of those in Wicomico County who struggle with hunger, we thank the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore for their generosity and support of our mission to end hunger!

Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry is an important program to the community because it allows us to help and support members of our community that haven fallen on hard times. Especially during times like the Covid-19 pandemic, families often find it difficult to find the supplies that would normally be readily available. Without programs like FHFH we would not have the opportunity to give back to the community when it is needed the most.
Bryan Todd, Off the Neck Game Butcher Shop, Wicomico County

Established in 1984, CFES is a public foundation and a 501c3 nonprofit. CFES serves Wicomico, Worcester, and Somerset Counties. Their mission is to strengthen their community by connecting people who care with causes that matter to improve quality of life in our region. As leaders, grant makers, and stewards of philanthropy, the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore connects people who care to causes that matter for the common good of the Lower Eastern Shore. They are a 501c3 nonprofit with an inspiring history of fostering charitable endeavors, and have provided more than $89 million in grants and scholarships to the local community since 1984. They collaborate with individuals, families, and businesses to match their charitable interests with community needs and strengthen local nonprofits through grants and resources. They are devoted to improving their regional community and believe in the power of philanthropy.

Inspired by a passion for the hunt and compassion for the hungry, FHFH is committed to addressing the problem of hunger in America. Since 1997 FHFH has provided 21.2 million servings of meat to those in need!

Neighbors Helping Neighbors - Having a Heart for People in Need

2/10/2021

Valentine’s Day will be here soon. February 14th is a day that celebrates love. Showing love for someone isn’t just for Valentine’s Day. At FHFH, we see love being shown all year by our compassionate and dedicated volunteers, partnering meat processors, hunters who
donate deer, farmers who donate livestock,
food banks and feeding ministries and financial supporters like you! We see people who put into action "... love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:39

With 1 of 9 people and 1 in 7 children struggling with hunger the need is great! We all rise when we lift each other up! You can show you care by being “a neighbor who helps a neighbor.” Your donations of deer, livestock or financial gifts provide food that fills the stomach and warms the hearts of hungry children, families, and seniors in your community!

You can be the one who makes a difference and be an example of love in action! Never underestimate the power of love and kindness. Won’t you please be a neighbor who helps a neighbor in need by donating deer, livestock or making a financial gift to FHFH?

On behalf of FHFH and the people who are struggling with hunger, we thank you for your generous support as we work together to end hunger in our country.

Sincerely,

Josh Wilson
Executive Director

Transforming deer, elk and livestock—God-given renewable resources—into food for the hungry!

Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry, Inc. | PO Box 323, Williamsport, MD 21795 | Email Us | 866-438-3434
A non-profit 501(c)(3) organization | EIN: 52-2151919