|
“Hunters have big hearts,” said Pam Smyers, owner of Henry County
meat processor Woodhull Lockers.
Woodhull Locker is part of Hunters Feeding Illinois, set up by the
Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The program accepts
donated field-dressed deer.
Smyers business and 31 other designated meat processors throughout
the state process the deer as part of the statewide effort to assist
local food pantries and soup kitchens.
“It doesn’t cost the hunters anything,” Smyers told The Center
Square.
Churches United and Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry help
direct the effort. The processors grind and package like venison in
packages, the way hamburger is packaged. The venison is then
delivered to soup kitchens and food pantries.
“We call Churches United in the Quad Cities,” Smyers said. “They
seem pretty excited about it when they come down and get it.”
Last year Woodhull Locker handled 30 deer for the program, Smyers
said. All kinds of hunters donate deer to the program. There are
beginning hunters and longtime hunters.
“We have one family that comes in and they say that their first deer
of the season always gets donated,” Smyers said. “I think that’s
pretty cool.”
Woodhull is in the northwest part of Illinois. Out-of-state hunters
are not allowed to take the meat out of state, so they donate, Symer
said.
|
|
