Hunters, Churches, and the Public Can Help Support the Hunters Helping the Hungry Program
The Division of Natural Resources (DNR) extends an invitation to all West Virginia hunters, churches, and the general public to help supportDNR’s charitable Hunters Helping the Hungry (HHH) Program, according to DNR’s HHH Program Coordinator Jerry Westfall. The HHH Program allows hunters to donate legally-harvested deer to certified processors so the meat can be donated to soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, senior centers, missions, churches, and community centers around the state. The HHH program has been highly successful since it began in 1992, providing more than 850,000 meals to the neediest of West Virginians. However, because of processing and distribution costs, the program also requires cash donations to benefit these needy individuals.
Since 1999, the West Virginia Council of Churches has sponsored the Share the Harvest Sunday to raise funds for the HHH Program. This year, on Sunday, November 2, approximately 3,000 churches will be asking members of their congregation to contribute $1, $5, or whatever they can afford to the HHH Program. “Many churches around the state should receive a personalized letter asking them for voluntary donations from their congregation during this Sunday,” noted Westfall. “However because the church database may not include every church in the state, we ask any church not receiving this solicitation letter to consider taking up an offering for the HHH Program. This donation can be mailed directly to the HHH Program. Churches can take up an offering any time, not just Share the Harvest Sunday, and submit this at a later date.
“The general public also may submit monetary donations to HHH Program at any time,” noted Westfall. “We accept these donations throughout the year. Without the continued financial assistance of churches, hunters and the general public, together with the generous deer donations of some hunters, this program can not continue. Because the HHH Program can not use sportsmen’s license dollars to pay for processing/distribution costs, it is entirely dependent on monetary donations, together with some grant funding. It is rewarding to know your donations are directly benefiting the neediest ofWest Virginians by providing them with highly nutritious meals.”
To make a monetary donation to the HHH Program, visit online www.wvdnr.gov (under Hunting click Hunters Helping the Hungry) or contact Billie Shearer at (304) 558-2771; billieshearer@wvdnr.gov. Hunters also may consult the Web site for certified processor locations around the state. For HHH Program general information consult the Web site or contact the Program Coordinator, Jerry Westfall, at (304) 558-2771; jerrywestfall@wvdnr.gov.
