Through Georgia program, hunters donate wild game meat to help hungry neighbors
One in seven people and nearly one in five children in Georgia are food-insecure, according to the Atlanta Community Food Bank.
That means they sometimes don't have enough to eat and don't know where their next meal is coming from.
A group of Georgia hunters is stepping in to help, offering fresh game meat to those in need.
A good hunt for a good cause
For Drew Copeland, deer hunting is a passion that turned pricey.
"My son started hunting, and I figured out it was costing me way more money cause he shot deer almost every time we went," Copeland said.
Turning a freshly shot deer into something you can eat can cost over $100.
"I figured out how to do it, and eventually it came around to where I had friends dropping deer over here saying, 'Hey, can you make some of that sausage you made?' he said.
About 10 years ago, Copeland started The Meat Shed in Eatonton. He can turn wild game into just about any kind of protein.
"Summer sausages—we make deer bacon, bologna," he said.
Copeland doesn't just make his friends sausage. Through the Georgia Wildlife Federation's Georgia Hunters for the Hungry, a program that connects hunters with food banks to donate meat, he's helping people get necessary protein.
"They can give a deer to any of the participating processors. We cover the processing costs, then it gets distributed to the local food banks," the Georgia Wildlife Federation's Adam Schiavone said.
"I called them up because I really wanted to be a part of it," Copeland said. "Almost half of what I take in processing, so it's 700 or so."
The federation's goal this year is 140,000 pounds, and they're at 46,000 pounds so far. That's thousands of pounds of meat going to hungry Georgians.
"I've got a fella, Jeff Yomens, who has a ministry, and he goes around and picks stuff up from me and takes it to each one of the food pantries around here," Copeland said. "What I send, it gets spread about seven counties."
Copeland is encouraging hunters across the state to get involved.
"I offered to all my guys, if they shot two, I would take $50 off processing if they donated one at the same time," he said.
Turning the thrill of the hunter into more than just antlers on the wall.
You can see the full list of where you can donate deer here.