The Tennessee Wildlife Federation (TWF), one of the state's oldest and largest conservation organizations, announced on Wednesday that Tennessee State Representative Ron Travis has made a generous donation in support of TWF's Hunters for the Hungry program to cover the cost of deer processing in his area, House District 31.
Hunters for the Hungry provides funding to 79 wild game processors across 63 Tennessee counties. The processors receive donated venison from hunters during whitetail deer season, package the lean, organic meat for free or at a reduced rate, and make it available to local food banks and kitchens.
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Travis' donation will be directly applied to pay processing fees, allowing hunters to donate at no cost to help feed hungry families in the area. Venison from these deer will be utilized by soup kitchens and missions in District 31. The donation will cover the processing of approximately 20 deer, providing more than 3,200 healthy meals to Tennesseans in crisis.
An incoming member of the Tennessee General Assembly's Nutrition Caucus, Rep. Travis has issued a challenge to the communities within his district to make generous donations of their own so more families and children can receive this much-needed relief. He cited statistics showing that in Roane, Bledsoe, Sequatchie, and Rhea counties, one in four kids struggle with hunger and more than 9,400 people are food insecure.
"I support the Hunters for the Hungry program and ask others to do the same because the program uses an abundant wildlife resource - deer - and connects the generosity of hunters with the needs of our community," said Rep. Travis in a statement. "As your representative, I feel that it is important that we work together as a community and region to help our less fortunate neighbors. By doing so, we are bolstering our communities and workforce and are leveraging the good will of sportsmen. Join me in supporting this great program."
Senate Majority Leader and Nutrition Caucus founder Mark Norris praised Rep. Travis' initiative.
"As chair of the Nutrition Caucus, I have seen first-hand the challenges food insecurity and hunger present in Tennessee," Mr. Norris said. "These challenges are bigger than just making sure food is on the table. Hunger destabilizes families. Food insecurity impacts our workforce and the economy. That is why the leadership demonstrated by Rep. Travis is so important and will make a difference in our efforts to fight hunger across Tennessee."
Hunters for the Hungry has collected more than one million pounds of venison since its inception in 1998, yielding over four million meals to food-insecure families and individuals across Tennessee.
Since 1946, the Tennessee Wildlife Federation has served as champions of our state's Great Outdoors. To learn more about the Federation or Hunters for the Hungry, visit www.tnwf.org.