Clinton Township Newsletter

2 0 d e c e m b e r 2 0 2 2 W W W . C L I N T O N T W P N E W S L E T T E R . C O M h u n T e r S h e l p i n g T h e h u n g r y p r o g r a m F a C T S The Hunters Helping the Hungry Program (HHH) originally started to assist hunters who could harvest more deer than they could use personally. Over the years their mission has expanded: 1) HHH continues to pay butchering costs for hunters who are able to take more deer than they can use. 2) HHH supports various municipal/private property owners that pay for the butchering process directly while they attempt to reduce deer populations on their property. 3) HHH sets aside a portion of the Department of Agriculture grant(s) to support and pay for butchering of deer taken by farmers and their agents during depredation hunts. Through support from their friends at the NJ Farm Bureau working with the NJ Dept. of Agriculture, the Hunters Helping the Hungry Program was been awarded a grant which allowed them to waive the hunters portion of the processing fees for hunter-donated deer having a field dressed weight of 50 lbs or more for the entire 2021/2022 hunting season. All of their efforts ultimately help the food bank system in New Jersey and those families less fortunate. The Hunters Helping the Hungry Program was developed by three hunters during the 1997- 1998 hunting season to help provide needed protein for local food banks while addressing the overpopulation of deer in our community. Ten deer (approximately 500 pounds of venison) were donated that first season. State Federation of Sportsmen Clubs, United Bowhunters of New Jersey, with the support of the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife and support of the New Jersey Health Departmen, have kept the initial efforts moving forward. Many individual hunting clubs also support this program. Hunters participate in the program by donating deer through an approved butcher to the NORWESCAP (Phillipsburg, NJ) or Ocean Monmouth Food Banks or Food Bank of South Jersey. Processing fees are paid to the butcher by HHH from a fund consisting of donations and grants. Approved butchers are inspected by the State of New Jersey health department. Hunters not only spend time hunting and money for licenses and permits, but they also donate $10 to $65 of the professional meat processing fee when they drop a deer off for processing. Since the program's inception, hunters have donated over 234,000 pounds of venison to the HHH providing approximately 936,000 servings of protein to those in need. Supplying venison to those with a protein deficient diet helps combat learning and health problems. After processing, donated venison is distributed by the Food Bank to over 400 needy feeding charities throughout New Jersey and to America's Second Harvest Food Banks statewide. Additionally, HHH organizes fundraising fishing trips and sporting clays events. HHH has been featured on CNN, NJN and many local newspapers. Every state in America has a similar, but separate program. Please visit our website to see many of these events, links and feature stories. Only deer harvested in New Jersey are eligible for donation. Venison is low fat and low cholesterol and, of course, high in protein. A very valuable food product for distribution in the food bank system. HHH is a non-profit 501-c3 organization. A small group of volunteers sit on the board of HHH and receive no compensation for their efforts. All administrative duties are supplied by the volunteer board members. Butcher processing fees are also discounted from normal retail fees by the approved butchers. Everyone who is a part of HHH, helps through their donations, volunteerism and generosity. Funds from HHH only pay for venison donated by hunters! HHH does not pay for any municipal depredation hunts or farmer depredation hunts. Many farmers do support HHH through generous donations or allowing hunters to hunt their property or requiring hunters who hunt their property to donate deer through this program. Several municipalities, private organizations may organize hunters to harvest deer, however, they pay 100% of the butchers costs. Donations to Hunters Helping the Hungry, Inc. can be mailed to HHH, P.O. Box 587, Lebanon, New Jersey 08833 or through Paypal at: www.HuntersHelpingTheHhungry.org. "Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most." ~ Ruth Carter Stapleton

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