SHELBY COUNTY — When deer season opens in November, one small community in Shelby County becomes a hub of activity for hunters who want to give back and help the hungry.
"It feels great to be able to help the local shelters. Being able to donate my services and donate my time and all my employees, they all look forward to helping the program. It means a lot to us," said Tony Edington, owner of Da Meat Room, a meat processing business in Bagdad. Tony, along with his friends and family, processes venision for area hunters. In some cases, that meat goes to those in need through Kentucky's "Hunters for the Hungry" program.
"The 'Hunters for the Hungry' program is a spectacular program. I've been doing the Hunters for the Hungry program for 15 years and we average around 2,000 to 2,500 pounds of meat per year, send it off to them, which is fantastic," Edington said.
"Hunters for the Hungry" is a statewide hunger relief program meant to provide a healthy source of protein to Kentuckians in need. It also gives hunters a way to help their communities and promote environmental stewardship through wildlife management.
"'Hunters for the Hungry,' it's a wonderful operation on many aspects because first of all, for the poor that need meat and also for Farm Bureau because we're getting so many deer and there's so many collisions, vehicle versus deer," said Joseph Bland of "Hunters for the Hungry." "And for Kentucky Department of Fishing and Wildlife, there's so many dear that this is an avenue to help keep them under control, to reduce the deer herd."
Bland said that for several years, the program has delivered 2,000 pounds of venison burger to several locations, including Serenity Center, St. Vincent de Paul in Frankfort, and St. Vincent de Paul in Louisville.
"In Shelby County you're allowed four deer, one buck and three does," said Edington. "An average hunter will feed their family with two deer and the other two deer they'll donate to the 'Hunters for the Hungry.' We see that all the time. It's fantastic."