Thursday, September 18, 2008
A challenging year for Hunters for the Hungry
Bill Cochran
Recent columns
The guy stopped by the Hunters for the Hungry booth at the recent sportsmen’s show in Salem and was asked if he would like to contribute to the program.
For a measly $2 he could buy a chance on a nice muzzleloader rifle, the money going to help process deer donated by hunters to feed the hungry.
He said no, that he’d already contributed when he donated 10 deer to the program last year.
I understand that hunters are invited to donate deer and this is a key element of the program. But what many don’t seem to understand is that it takes money to process those deer. Ten deer can cost about $400. Deer are abundant; money isn’t.
I’m not saying that hunters should cover all of the processing fees, but they should do a better job than they now are doing, and a bunch of other people need to kick in their share.
The Hunters for the Hungry program is facing a challenging year. There are a number of new, more liberal hunting regulations that are designed to increase the doe kill. In all likelihood, they will mean more deer for Hunters for the Hungry.
That’s good, but only if the money is available. Lacking that, the program will have to shut down. You get a feel for the challenge when you realize that the program already is about 65,000 pounds ahead of last year at this time, the deer coming from late hunting seasons and damage permits.
Hunters for the Hungry processed and distributed a record 363,748 pounds of venison last year. The goal this year is 370,000 pounds. Records have been set every one of the organization’s 15 years.
The program is capable of processing a half-million pounds of venison. The only holdback is money, said Gary Arrington special projects coordinator.
Funding comes from churches, foundations, individuals, organizations, bank interest, special events and the retail sales of hats, shirts and videos. All this brought in just over $600,000 last year, which is pretty amazing since the biggest contributors were individuals who pooled dollars for the cause.
This spectacular collection is the result of a hard-working staff, dedicated volunteers and caring people willing to make a financial sacrifice, but it hardly is the kind of secure financial base the organization needs to build on for the future.
One of the major fund-raising events of the year is the annual Hunters for the Hungry banquet in Salem, scheduled Sept. 27. (See Cochran’s Field Reports for more information.) Last year’s banquet brought in nearly $20,000, enough to provide 90,000 servings of venison.
Some people believed the program’s financial challenges were over a few years ago when the General Assembly established a check-off system that allows hunters to contribute $2 to Hunters for the Hungry when they purchase hunting licenses. Let’s see now: $2 x 350,000 licenses!
But the response has been most disappointing, hovering around $11,000 to $12,000 each year. License agents forget to remind hunters of the check off and when they do many don’t respond. It could be worse this year, consider the slow economy and the high cost of gas and ammo.
Here are some funding sources that need to be milked:
>The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries needs to make a significant contribution to the program because Hunters of the Hungry is vital for the agency to carry out its deer management efforts.
>Most farm organizations, including the Virginia Farm Bureau, already give, but need to dig deeper into their jeans, because people in agribusiness, more than most, benefit from efforts to curb the deer herd. Agriculture and property losses as the result of deer damage costs in the millions annually. Greater funding is something the Farm Bureau needs to discuss at its Dec. 1-3 convention in Hot Springs.
>Individuals, who already carry about one-quarter of the load, need to do more, and new faces must join them. Contributions can be sent to Hunters for the Hungry, P.O. Box 304, Big Island, Va. 24526. Better yet, come enjoy the banquet.
>Municipalities who hire sharp shooters to cull excess deer need to pay for the processing as part of the expenses to doing the job. Some do, but others pay only a part or none at all.
>Hunters should make the license check-off work, if for nothing else than the fact that Hunters for the Hungry provides their sport a generous amount of positive publicity. More hunters need to be like the man from Franklin County who won the muzzleloader at the Salem show then said he wanted to give it back to raise funds at a future event.
>Every hunting club should make a major contribution to Hunters for the Hungry. For a start, try taking half the money from the club’s big buck pot and contribute it.
>Insurance companies hammered by deer-vehicle collusions should contribute. It is just good business to lower the deer herd along the commonwealth’s highways.
>If you have a club or church group looking for a worthy mission, this is it. Food banks will tell you that their greatest need is high protein meat. They also will tell you that demands for food this year have been higher than ever.
The Hunters for the Hungry Web site is www.h4hungry.org.
