- News -
Hunters in Pennsylvania will once again have the opportunity to feed hungry families across the state for free this hunting season, courtesy of CONSOL Energy. In partnership with Hunters Sharing the Harvest (HSH) and Hunger-Free Pennsylvania (HFPA), the company is calling on all hunters to donate extra deer.
From left to right: Lou Barletta, representing, CONSOL Energy, PA Senator Tim Solobay; Sheila Christopher, Executive Director Hunger-Free, John Plowman, HSH Executive Director, Bob Schlemmer, president of the PA Game Commission and Kip Padgelek, HSH deer processor and Board member.
Hunters who want to participate can take their harvest to an approved meat processor, where the game will be refined into ground venison and distributed by Pennsylvania food banks, soup kitchens, churches and social services programs. CONSOL Energy will underwrite the cost to process all meat at approved facilities in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Washington and Westmoreland Counties.
“CONSOL Energy understands the value of Hunters Sharing the Harvest and we are proud to once again support this worthwhile cause,” stated Tommy Johnson, Vice President of Government and External Relations, CONSOL Energy. “This cooperative program eliminates the extra cost to hunters, therefore generating the incentive for more hunters to donate extra deer. More donations means more meals provided to those in need in our community.”
Based on the success of last year’s program, CONSOL Energy and HSH expanded the program to include meat processors in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland Counties. “Pennsylvania’s Hunters Sharing the Harvest program is looking forward to the 2014 deer hunting and donation season, now with anticipated donations further enhanced by CONSOL Energy’s operational support extended to additional counties,” said John Plowman, Executive Director, Hunters Sharing the Harvest. “Last season was the first year for the CONSOL/HSH partnership, resulting in an additional 684 deer yielding 24,800 pounds of extra venison burger distributed to area food banks and providing over 90,000 meals. Those results are clearly proof the concept worked even beyond expectations.”
In an average hunting season, the HSH program channels approximately 100,000 pounds of processed venison through the state’s 20 regional food banks. That meat provides more than 750,000 meals annually.
“Hunger-Free Pennsylvania is proud of their long standing partnership with Hunters Sharing the Harvest and so appreciate their efforts to obtain and increase the availability of this high-protein nutritious food for our low-income Pennsylvania neighbors,” stated Sheila Christopher, Executive Director, Hunger-Free Pennsylvania.
The HSH donation season starts in the fall with archery deer season and goes through the holiday season into muzzleloader and late archery season. To learn more about the program and obtain a list of participating meat processors visit the HSH Web site: http://www.sharedeer.org/meat-processors/.
CONSOL Energy Inc. (NYSE: CNX) is a Pittsburgh-based producer of natural gas and coal. The company is one of the largest independent natural gas exploration, development and production companies, with operations centered in the major shale formations of the Appalachian basin. CONSOL Energy deploys an organic growth strategy focused on rapidly developing its resource base of 5.7 trillion cubic feet of proved natural gas reserves, while the company’s premium coal assets are sold to electricity generators and steelmakers both domestically and internationally. CONSOL Energy is a member of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Equity Index and the Fortune 500. Additional information may be found at www.consolenergy.com<http://www.consolenergy.com.
