Hunters For The Hungry Louisiana is once again accepting deer and hog donations at partner processors that are signed up with the organization throughout the state, for the 2023-2024 “Freshly Harvested Game Program” season.
Hunters are encouraged to visit the Hunters For The Hungry Louisiana (H4H) website to find a convenient partner processor where they can deliver their bounty and donate their deer or hog. There is no cost to the hunter as H4H will pay the processing fee, and the meat is processed and picked up by a local food bank or one of their affiliated kitchens or shelters in their community.
This past 2022/2023 season broke records with over 39,000 pounds of hog and 38,000 pounds of deer protein distributed to the needy, and the numbers are expected to rise even more with the awareness for hog donations.
“With the addition of hogs, we expect this program to grow even more than it has in the past, so we’re asking sportsmen to donate in funds what they aren’t able to provide in meat,” says Julie Grunewald, executive director of H4H. “In addition to providing sportsmen a way to give back and feed the needy in their area, our program provides an avenue to keeping a healthy herd of deer on your property and reducing the nuisance of hogs by donating what needs to be harvested. It’s a win-win on all sides.”
For those who aren’t able to donate bounty, there are ways to support the processing of donated wild game:
- When you buy a Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries hunting license [louisianaoutdoors.com] - online or in-person, you can choose to "check yes" and donate to H4H.
- Or anyone can donate directly [h4hla.org]on the H4H website.
Sportsmen who find themselves fishing in Venice, LA, can also participate in the act of giving by donating a portion of their catch at Venice Marina. The marina will clean and process the fish for H4H, again at no cost to the fishermen. In 2022, with the help of Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries agents bringing in confiscated fish, as well as generous fishermen wanting to support our program, Venice Marina processed over 5,000 pounds of fish for H4H over the past two years.
With the support of local food banks, churches, and community betterment organizations, H4H orchestrates a successful statewide effort to provide for the five (5) major food banks in Louisiana, as well as direct to shelters and kitchens and other agencies in various communities. Thanks to the generosity of Louisiana’s sportsmen this past September, over 22,000 pounds of protein were donated to food banks and agencies statewide.
To learn more about Hunters For The Hungry Louisiana or find your local processor, visit www.h4hla.org [h4hla.org] and click on “Processors.” And for anyone that wants to share pictures of their donated bounty to celebrate, they can be uploaded at https://bit.ly/picsforh4h [bit.ly].
