Hunters Helping the Hungry

Letter from HHH to its supporters, December 2015 - (pdf, 28kb)
Hunting for the Hungry - my9nj.com 12/1/15

The Hunters Helping the Hungry (HHH) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation working with regional food banks which enables hunters to donate venison while addressing the overpopulation of deer in New Jersey. Hunters participate in the program by donating deer through an approved butcher.

In 2001, HHH received a legislative grant of $95,000 and in 2003, the Division of Fish and Wildlife provided $50,000 for a matching grant to keep the program running. Since then, HHH has relied on private donations.

Hunters in northwestern New Jersey may donate deer to the NORWESCAP Food Bank in Phillipsburg while hunters in eastern New Jersey may donate deer to the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties in Neptune. New this year is the participation of the Foodbank of South Jersey. Processing fees are paid to the butchers from a fund consisting of donations and grants and a donation made by each hunter donating a deer.

After processing, donated venison is distributed by the NORWESCAP, Ocean/Monmouth and South Jersey food banks to over 400 needy feeding charities throughout the state and to America's Second Harvest Food Banks statewide.

A total of 433 deer were donated in the 2015/2016 season. These deer yielded 15,549 lbs. of venison (more than 68,000 meals!) which were provided through the program to those in need. Since the program's inception in 1997 hunters have donated more than 200 TONS (419,182 lbs.) of venison to the food banks, providing well over one million servings.

Butchers who participate in the Hunters Helping the Hungry program receive $65 to process the donated deer. Currently, hunters who donate deer to feed the hungry must contribute either $10 (for field-dressed deer weighing 50 lbs. or more) or $25 (for deer under 50 lbs.) toward that processing fee. If the program's funding runs out, hunters who donate deer will have to cover the entire cost for meat processing.

Hunters should check on funding availability before harvesting a deer intended for donation by visiting www.huntershelpingthehungry.org or by calling the Division of Fish and Wildlife at 609-292-6686. Donations to Hunters Helping the Hungry can be mailed to HHH, P.O. Box 587, Lebanon, NJ 08833 or by going to the HHH website and donating through Paypal. There is also a link for shoping at Amazon.com which provides a donation to the program.

Participating Butchers

Please contact the following participating butchers (who meet all State game and health laws) before delivering your deer:

Please visit the HHH website at www.huntershelpingthehungry.org for more information.