by Cody McLaughlin - Friday, June 7, 2024
In November 2023, the NRA declared November as America’s first National Wild Game Meat Donation Monthin support of the hunters across America who continue to share their wild game harvests with those less fortunate through state-based Hunters for the Hungry programs. As a state that has been involved in this initiative for decades, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced it is accepting grant applications for its Venison Donation Grant Program in 2024 through June 16.
In support of the many hunters who donate their wild game meat to aid people in their local communities, the Maryland Venison Donation Grant Program announced it will award $25,000 to support Maryland’s Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH) and similar government and nonprofit organizations working to process and distribute venison to food banks this year. Much-needed grant funding helps to defray the costs of butchering and processing donated deer, with funds available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Fresh, Healthy, High Quality and High Impact
For an example of the impact hunters and their donations make, an NRA Hunters’ Leadership Forum (HLF) article from 2022 noted that “since 1997, FHFH has paid for the processing of enough deer, elk and livestock donations to provide nearly 22 million servings of nutritious protein-rich meat to help feed needy children, families and individuals.” That tremendous statistic covers one program alone.
As the effort to publicize the benefits of hunters to society beyond the incredible benefit to wildlife conservation we already pose continues to gain steam, states are stepping up to support hunters across their states, including through declarations such as the one from Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, who joined the NRA in proclaiming November 2023 as Wild Game Meat Donation Month in his state.
In underscoring the NRA’s support of Hunters for the Hungry, NRA-ILA Executive Director Randy Kozuch, NRA General Operations Executive Director Joseph P. DeBergalis and the NRA’s Karen Mehall Phillips with the NRA HLF and American Hunter magazine have been involved in the NRA’s Hunters for the Hungry efforts since the movement launched more than three decades ago. It marks an NRA track record that the hunting community much appreciates.
In championing American hunters’ selfless efforts through the years, the NRA has donated more than $650,000 to support these programs, including grants awarded by the NRA HLF. As shared in another NRA HLF article, recently completed research funded by the NRA Hunters’ Leadership Forum (HLF) shows that we hunters share 119 million pounds of harvested game meat with others outside our households each year. What hunter-backed organization wouldn’t want to support a movement like that?
Calling All Maryland Organizations to Apply Today!
As Maryland continues its efforts to help hunters share their harvests this year, be sure to submit a grant for your organization by the Maryland DNR’s deadline at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday evening, June 16, 2024. To submit your application, please click here.