Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry
Celebrating 25 years of giving back
DURING THE TIME I’ve lived in Kentucky and written about the great outdoors, I have learned of so many great organizations that contribute to providing opportunities for those who love to be outside. Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry gives hunters a way to give back to communities and harvest more deer for conservation. This year marks its 25th anniversary as an organization, but the history began years before.
In 1988, the deer herds in Kentucky had exceeded their carrying capacity in some areas. This prompted biologists to encourage an increase in doe harvests. It also led to discussions among a group of avid hunters who wanted to support wildlife management but were concerned about how to manage the extra venison they couldn’t store or that would be more than their small families could consume. These hunters decided that sharing their extra venison by donating it to those in need would address those concerns, helping others at the same time.
That fall, Hunters for the Hungry was established as hunters collaborated with processors and food banks to provide donated meat to those who needed nutritious meals for their families. The organization’s full name would come later.
In the 1990s, the project caught the attention of the Kentuckiana chapter of Safari Club International, a group of dedicated hunters and conservationists. The Kentuckiana chapter contributed funding and volunteers to process the venison that hunters donated. Chapter members gathered at a local processor and spent hours processing deer. The meat was ground into venison burger, then frozen for later distribution to local charities.
The idea spread and became highly successful in states where sufficient funding was available. In 2000, Roy Grimes, then deputy commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, asked the local Safari Club Board if they would be willing to organize sportsmen’s groups to form an organization that could develop the Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry program and expand it throughout Kentucky.
The result was Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry, Inc., a charitable 501(c)(3) organization, incorporated in July 2000 with the support of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Its first executive director was Brent Harrel, who worked with an elected board of directors that included representatives from conservation organizations.
KHFH grew quickly during its first season, with 40 meat processors processing around 20,000 pounds of venison—amounting to more than 150,000 meals for those in need. In recent years, the average harvest has increased to 60,000–70,000 pounds of meat, providing up to 560,000 meals per year. Still, funding remains a major limiting factor.
