Safari Club International asks hunters to share their venison

The Central Missouri Chapter of Safari Club International will once again be the local coordinator for a Share the Harvest Program in Central Missouri.

This program gives deer hunters the opportunity to donate venison provided to charities serving the needy.

"Last year, 15,600 pounds of venison were donated through this program that helped fill a great need and we are hoping for an increase this year," said Walter Coleman, president of the Central Missouri Chapter of SCI. "We appreciate very much the support from deer hunters, Missouri Department of Conservation, Conservation Federation of Missouri, meat processors, charities and many other partners who make this program possible."

All hunters need to have their deer processed at one of the meat processors in the program and indicate the number of pounds they wish to donate from 1 pound up to a whole deer. Processors processing whole deer donated will have the costs paid by the Conservation Federation of Missouri at $75 per deer and the Central Missouri Chapter of SCI will pay the remainder until a cap at each processing plant is reached and funds run out. Hunters are encouraged to donate at least a portion of their deer. If those successful hunters in our area donated just a few pounds of venison each it would really help increase the amount for the needy.

Processors participating in our program are the following: R&R Processing, Auxvasse; Crane's Meat Processing, Ashland; Swiss Meat & Sausage Co., Hermann; Horn's Meat Processing, Fulton; Hanson Hills Campground, Kingdom City; and Tune's Locker Plant, Centralia.

"There continues to be a big need for food to serve needy people in central Missouri" said Mike Nolting, coordinator of the program for the Central Missouri Chapter of SCI.

Charities this year include: The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri, Columbia; SERVE, Inc., Fulton; Salvation Army, Columbia and Jefferson City; Samaritan Center, Jefferson City; The Pantry, Jefferson City; New Life Evangelistic Center, New Bloomfield; Oak Chapel Baptist Church Food Pantry, New Bloomfield; Moniteau Christian Ministries Center, California; Holts Summit Soup Kitchen, Holts Summit; Hope House, Lake Ozark; Eldon Ministerial Alliance, Eldon; Helping Hands Outreach Center of Gasconade County, Owensville; Hermann Community Food Pantry, Hermann; The Help Center, Mexico; Rocky Mount Baptist Church Food Pantry, Eldon; and Holts Summit Ministerial Alliance Food Pantry, Holts Summit.

Those interested in helping with the program, or those with questions, should contact Mike Nolting, Coordinator, at [email protected] or 573 645-1705, or Earl Cannon, Assistant Coordinator, at [email protected] or 573 353-5030.