News & Updates

Two of our FHFH programs in Ohio donated a combined total of over 30,000 servings of nutritious meat for people struggling with hunger in communities served by these programs.

Northeast Ohio FHFH:
Meat for over 15,000 meals to the hungry of Northeast Ohio this past season was donated by hunters, processed by Duma Deer Processing and given to our partners Refuge of Hope and Haven of Rest Ministries, Akron, OH for distribution to those in need.

Northeast Ohio FHFH coordinator Rick Firdig shared “I am so blessed to be able to share that our local FHFH organization (OH-33) was able to raise funds to help process and then donate 3,800 pounds of deer meet to feed the hungry in NE Ohio this fall/winter. This program partners with corporate and individual donors, hunters, farmers, local butchers, and food banks in our region. Please share the website (https://feedingthehungry.org/) for anyone looking to donate meat or funds to continue to support this great cause. God is good all the time!”

Wayne County FHFH:
Tom Norman, Coordinator for Wayne County FHFH in Ohio, shared the deer donation totals for the 2023-2024 hunting season.

There were 76 deer donated which provided 15,200 servings of nutritious meat for people in need in Wayne County!

Tom thanks everyone who donated a deer, donated financially, prayed for Wayne County FHFH and thanks our great meat processors Canaan Meats and Yoder Custom Meats. Your support of our mission of feeding the hungry in Wayne County is very much appreciated. Without all of you, none of this would have been possible.

Huron County, Ohio (February 15, 2024) – Local farmer Barb Eitle knows the importance of helping those in need. That’s why she has directed a $5,000 donation for 2024 from Bayer Fund’s America’s Farmers Grow Communities program to Farmers & Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH). This generous contribution will provide 6,500 nutritious meals to families struggling with food insecurity in Huron County, Ohio.

Eitle chose FHFH for its innovative approach to fighting hunger. The organization collects donated deer and livestock, pays for the meat to be processed at local butcher shops, and distributes it to area food banks and feeding ministries. This ensures families have access to high-quality protein, a crucial component of a healthy diet.

“We are incredibly grateful to Barb Eitle for choosing to support FHFH with this donation,” said Josh Wilson, Executive Director of FHFH. “This funding will allow us to serve many additional people and families in need, providing them with essential protein and hope.”

Eitle’s contribution was made possible through the America’s Farmers Grow Communities program. Since 2010, Bayer Fund has partnered with farmers across the country, empowering them to support thousands of causes they care about by donating millions of dollars to the charities they have selected. Farmers have directed donations to food banks, emergency response organizations, schools, youth agriculture programs and many others that reflect the spirit and support the vibrancy of rural America.

“Bayer Fund is proud to work side-by-side with farmers to identify local eligible nonprofit organizations that are able to provide their residents with solutions that leave a lasting impact,” said Al Mitchell, Bayer Fund president.

To learn more about how America’s Farmers are making an impact, visit www.AmericasFarmers.com.

About Bayer Fund:  Bayer Fund is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the communities where Bayer customers and employees live and work by providing funding for food and nutrition, education and community development projects.

We extend our gratitude to the Walmart Foundation for their continued support of our mission! Their generous Spark Good Community Grants are making a profound impact on our mission to alleviate hunger in communities across the nation.

Walmart Store #1715, Easton, Maryland – $1,000 grant to Mid-Shore FHFH which will help us ensure that people in Talbot County have access to nourishing meals.

Walmart Store #3843, Denton, Maryland – $500 grant to Mid-Shore FHFH will help us provide nutritious meat to people struggling with hunger in Caroline County.

Walmart Distribution Center #7017, Wintersville, Ohio – $1,000 grant to Carroll County Ohio FHFH which will empower us to provide more meat to the people facing hunger in this region.

Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry welcomes the following individuals as new FHFH coordinators:

Ohio – Luke Fabian is coordinator for Guernsey County FHFH.

Texas – Jeff Little is coordinator for Leon County FHFH.

We thank Luke and Jeff for joining us in our mission of feeding the hungry!

You can find Luke, Jeff and the rest of our local program coordinators listed on our website HERE. We encourage you to reach out and support them!

We extend our gratitude to H-E-B for their support of our mission! H-E-B awarded a $500 grant to South Texas FHFH enabling FHFH to provide nutritious meat to food banks and feeding ministries in communities served by South Texas FHFH.

H-E-B’s Hunger Relief Program works year-round to fight hunger in Texas and Mexico. Hunger relief has been a key focus for H-E-B since the first store opened in 1905. For more than a century now, H-E-B’s commitment and involvement in the communities it serves has been an important part of the way the company does business.

We extend our sincere thanks to H-E-B for their compassionate and generous commitment to our mission of feeding the hungry. Together, we are casting a vision of a brighter, hunger-free future!

In December we shared a story about Hunter, a young man in Ohio donating his first buck to FHFH to help others struggling with hunger. The Hendershot family was excited to learn to hunt so they could donate the meat from the deer to people in need in their community.

Hunter harvested his first deer, a buck, during gun season. His mom Melissa hunted hard and harvested her first deer, a button buck. Hunter’s dad Seth harvested his first deer, also a buck. The whole family harvested their first deer this season with the purpose of donating the deer to help those in need throughout their community.

What an amazing family! We express our gratitude to the Hendershot family for helping to feed the hungry in their community.

The Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund has awarded a grant to the national Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH) venison donation ministry. This funding will help FHFH pay meat processing bills to transform donated deer into nutritious meat for local food banks and feeding ministries while helping people across the nation see and understand the incredible value of the various “hunters for the hungry” programs.

“We are so grateful for this generous grant from the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund,” said FHFH Executive Director Josh Wilson. “This support helps us process additional deer for the needy in underfunded areas and communities, and advocate for greater hunter awareness and participation with venison donation programs like FHFH.”

Guided by the visionary leadership of Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, the Outdoor Fund empowers Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s over 200 million passionate customers to support conservation efforts by rounding up their purchases. Rallying passionate customers, alongside dedicated team members, industry partners and leading conservation organizations, Bass Pro Shops is creating North America’s largest conservation movement to collectively shape the future of the outdoors and all who love it for generations to come.

About FHFH – People across America who struggle with food insecurity are often desperate for meat and protein items. FHFH gives nutritious meat to food banks, food pantries and feeding ministries that help those in need by paying inspected and approved local butcher shops to process deer and livestock that are donated by farmers and hunters. Meat for over 22.5 million meals has been donated, processed and distributed by FHFH since 1997. The organization welcomes new supporters and volunteers to join the cause. To learn more, please visit https://feedingthehungry.org/, call toll-free 866-438-3434, or email staff@fhfh.org.

Central Indiana FHFH donated hamburger and sausage (60 pounds total) to the Bethlehem Food Pantry in Ovid, Indiana before Christmas for people in need.

Choptank Electric Trust awarded FHFH a $1,200 grant to help feed the hungry in Somerset County, Maryland.

One of the 7 Cooperative Principles of being a cooperative is Concern for Community. As a Co-op, the quality of life for their members and the community has always been at the center of what they do. Based on that Cooperative Principle, Choptank Electric Cooperative adopted Operation Round Up ® as their community assistance program in 2004.  Operated as the non-profit Choptank Electric Trust, Inc., this is a simple and rewarding way to enable members to contribute funds for local charities, needy individuals, and service organizations.

On behalf of FHFH and those in Somerset County who struggle with hunger, we thank Choptank Electric Trust for their generosity and support of our mission to end hunger.

In December, Central Indiana FHFH purchased 50 hams from the Meijer store in Noblesville and donated them to the Lapel Community Food Pantry for people in need.