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Groups donate deer meat to food banks
Friday, March 12, 2010
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Southern Maryland Resource Conservation & Development Board presents a $5,000 matching award to Southern Maryland FHFH at the St. Mary's Soil Conservation District annual cooperators' dinner Feb. 12. Pictured are Patricia Pinnell, chairwoman, Southern Maryland RC&D, left; Steve White, Southern Maryland coordinator, Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry; Olga Walter, treasurer, Southern Maryland RC&D; Tommy Wright, board member, Southern Maryland RC&D..
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The Southern Maryland Resource Conservation & Development Board announced that the nonprofit offered Southern Maryland Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry a 100 percent match of a $5,000 grant received from the National Association of RC&D Councils to pay for processing deer meat that will provide an additional 17,000 meals to under-served families in Southern Maryland. As a result of this grant and other received this year, Southern Maryland FHFH has been able to process more than 700 deer, an estimated 300 more than in years past.
Like RC&D, FHFH is also a national program with regional organizations to coordinate local activities. Hunters and landowners donate harvested deer and other big game to qualified, inspected meat processors participating in the program. FHFH then raises money to pay the processors to cut, package, and freeze the donated meat. The meat is then distributed free to community food banks and other food distribution centers serving the needy. The meat is generally distributed in the same county where it is donated.
RC&D presented the $5,000 to Southern Maryland FHFH Feb. 12 at the St. Mary's County Soil Conservation District Cooperators' Dinner. Steve White, coordinator for the Southern Maryland Chapter of FHFH, received the check and spoke about FHFH's efforts locally and nationally to farmers, conservation planners, district board members and elected officials, including Sen. Roy Dyson (D-St. Mary's, Calvert, Charles).
A press release stated RC&D, with its headquarters in Waldorf is excited to be able to match the initial award from the national association and looks forward to a continued partnership with FHFH. This month, Southern Maryland RC&D will visit the National Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry office in Williamsport.
RC&D staff and board members have met deer processors from Charles, St. Mary's and Calvert counties and toured their facilities and have begun to distribute information in English and Spanish about RC&D and FHFH to participating food pantries.
The visits have made apparent how much food pantries and churches appreciate FHFH efforts and donations and made evident Southern MD FHFH's willingness to coordinate farmers with processors and processors with distribution centers, according to the release. E-mail somdrcd@verizon.net, call 301-932-4638 or go to www.somdrcd.org.
