The PA Hunters Sharing the Harvest Program: Successfully Feeding the Hungry for over 30 Years

Since 1991 Hunters Sharing the Harvest venison donation program, (HSH) has coordinated the processing and distribution of donated deer meat and wild game from hunters and municipal herd reduction sources to hungry people throughout Pennsylvania. An average-sized deer will provide enough high protein, low fat meat for 200 meals. This sportspersons’-inspired community service outreach effectively channels hunter donated venison through a network of approved deer processors, food banks, and some local charitable provider organizations throughout Pennsylvania’s urban and rural communities. HSH has evolved as a respected partner with deer management practices throughout the Commonwealth.

This unique concept of sharing, developed by Pennsylvania hunting interests, is the foundation of the program’s annual deer season accomplishments. It is based on the cooperation of our dedicated volunteer county coordinators, board of directors, Legislators, state and local agencies, in concert with our colleagues from the outdoor news media and our vitally important sponsors and benefactors. All these components work together with a common mission to maximize the best-utilization of a wildlife resource to help others needing food assistance.

The HSH program is a registered 501c3 non-profit charity with funding and support derived from a mix of public and private sources. Individual financial donations come from generous hunters and non-hunters, and the hunting communities, who uphold a strong belief in supporting the effectiveness and outreach of their own brand of social service. It has evolved into the preferred nationally recognized model many other states now replicate. From its inception, HSH was founded as the signature mechanism for Pennsylvania hunters to demonstrate their own personal and compassionate decision for helping those low-income individuals and families with extra venison. Many wildlife management units in Pennsylvania offer multiple deer tags, longer seasons and special hunting opportunities that result in extra deer being donated by sportsmen and women.

HSH remains as the most effective social-service program conduit for hunters and wildlife managers to directly make a difference, often from actions that take place in the fields and forests. More than 1.6 million Pennsylvanians are classified as food insecure, and with the recent economic downturn the need and requests for food assistance continues to grow. In an average hunting season, the HSH program’s goal is to channel about 100,000 pounds of processed venison annually through the state’s food banks who then re-distribute to more than 5,000 local provider charities such as food pantries, missions, homeless shelters, Salvation Army facilities and churches.