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Growing program helps Ohio hunters feed state’s hungry

By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

HILLSBORO, Ohio — Last hunting season 16 deer were killed and processed in Highland County and given to the hungry as part of the Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH) program.
Highland County FHFH coordinator Barb Graves (no relation to this writer) said the need for venison is her area is great. “Because of the closure of DHL last year there are a lot of people out of work and in need of food,” said Graves, one of four FHFH coordinators in southwestern Ohio.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has collaborated with FHFH in an effort to assist with the processing costs associated with donating venison to food banks. FHFH chapters have been set up in the southwestern Ohio counties of Butler, Clermont, Hamilton, Warren, Shelby and Highland.
The ODNR is looking for more Ohio chapters to fight hunger in the state.

“There’s many good reasons for the FHFH effort,” Graves added. “Not only are we feeding hungry people but we’re keeping the deer population down so there’s fewer car-deer mishaps and we’re cutting down on the crop damage caused by deer.”

A $100,000 subsidy grant has been awarded to FHFH by the Ohio Division of Wildlife to help pay the processing fees on venison donated to food banks. In Highland County, DHL awarded grant money to help with processing fees. The grant money is to be matched with funds generated or collected by FHFH. This is the second year for this effort.

“I became the first Ohio local FHFH coordinator in 2002 and since then the number of chapters has risen to 27,” said Allen Dunlap, Northwest Ohio FHFH. “Our volunteer organization can still use help since a large part of the state is without coordinators or meat processors.”

Responsibilities of a local coordinator include organizing a network with at least one inspected, insured meat processor to cut, package and freeze the donated venison and one food bank or feeding ministry to distribute the meat to the hungry.

FHFH got its start in 1997 in Maryland. Now over a decade old, FHFH has grown to include 140 local coordinators in 29 states. Annual meat donation totals have topped 319,000 pounds, enough to provide meat for 1.27 million meals. There are four FHFH coordinators in southwestern Ohio.

For more information about FHFH and its efforts contact Josh Wilson (FHFH operations director) at 866-438-3434, Dunlap (West and Northwest Ohio FHFH) at 419-466-4143, Dewey Thompson (South and Southeast Ohio FHFH) at 740-623-0859, Pete Banks (Northeast Ohio FHFH) at 440-988-5495 or Beth Ruth (ODNR Media Relations) at 614-265-6860.

Published on Oct. 7, 2009

10/14/2009