NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – After getting behind the Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s (TWF) Hunters for the Hungry program last year, Representative Jay Reedy has again made a generous donation to cover the cost of processing donated deer to provide healthy meals for hungry neighbors in Houston, Humphreys and Montgomery counties.
It’s all part of TWF’s Legislative Challenge, held each year during the white-tailed deer season.
“Leaders like Rep. Reedy help ensure that hunters can donate deer at no cost, processors are able to prepare the meat and distribute it to soup kitchens and food banks in the area, and hungry Tennesseans are being fed,” said Hunters for the Hungry Program Manager Matt Simcox. “Each year, we challenge legislators to see who can deliver the biggest impact in their districts, and tens of thousands of meals have been provided as a result.”
Hunters for the Hungry provides funding to more than 80 wild game processors across 67 Tennessee counties. The processors receive donated venison from hunters during white-tailed deer season, package the lean, organic meat for free or at a reduced rate, and make it available to local food banks and kitchens.
Rep. Reedy’s donation will be directly applied to pay processing fees, allowing hunters to donate deer at no cost. Last year, his support covered the processing of approximately 10 deer, which provided about 1,600 healthy meals to Tennesseans in crisis.
Rep. Reedy is asking those in his district to consider making a generous donation of their own so more families and children can receive this much-needed relief. He cited statistics showing across his district, which includes Houston, Humphreys, and Montgomery counties, that more than 16 percent of the population is food insecure. To make a donation online, go to http://www.tnwf.org/donate/