Dave McMullen accepts a check from Frank Gouin for the Anne Arundel County chapter of Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. Photo by Mitchelle Stephenson for the Capital. By Mitchelle Stephenson
For the Capital
Published 11/26/09
First, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for continuing to read Around South County and The Capital newspaper.
Each week, the Anne Arundel Food Bank stocks and collects food for distribution to dozens of locations throughout the county. For the most part, the items are non-perishable foods like canned or boxed goods - things that have a stable shelf life and won't spoil.
A local group has made it possible for the group to also give out fresh meat. Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH), whose Anne Arundel chapter is based in Edgewater, contributed over 6,000 pounds of ground, fresh, frozen venison to the food bank last year, and the group is on track to do it again this year.
From there, the food bank redistributes the meat to its local pantries.
FHFH works by raising funds for the processing of the deer meat at four local butchers. When local hunters have more deer than they can consume themselves, they bring their tagged and DNR-registered deer to an approved butcher. When the butcher has accumulated several hundred pounds, they put in a call to the Anne Arundel Food Bank to come pick up the meat in a refrigerated truck.
"It is a lean meat, and a good source of protein," said Bruce Michaelec, the executive director of the Anne Arundel Food Bank. "When church pantries come in here for food, it allows us to have a variety of things," he said.
Not all of the pantries the food bank services are open to the idea of venison. "Deer meat isn't one of the things that is requested in all places, but it is requested in some areas of the county - including south county," Bruce said.
"Since we've been a chapter, we've never been able to meet the donation needs with the processing," Dave McMullen said. Dave is the president of the local FHFH chapter. "Even though our butchers give us a 20 percent discount on the pricing," he said.
The group has hunters who are looking to donate, but sometimes the group can't afford to pay the butcher for the processing. So either the deer are discarded or the hunters pay for the processing themselves and then keep the meat.
As a result of the shortfall, Dave has had to go out into the community - to hunting clubs, community groups and churches to talk about the FHFH program and find ways to raise enough money to have all of the donated deer processed.
Recently, the Lothian Ruritan Club donated $750 to FHFH.
Their donation came about because about two years ago, Dave gave a talk to their club about his organization. Even though Dave said he isn't particularly comfortable in his role as public spokesman, his message obviously got through because the Ruritans decided then to give $1,000.
This year all of the proceeds from their Hymn Sing event at Mount Zion United Methodist Church went to FHFH.
"We had about 75 people in attendance at the Hymn Sing. The event was free, but we passed the collection basket," said Frank Gouin, who's active in the Lothian Ruritans.
At roughly $1 per pound, the money from the Ruritans should help to process roughly 750 pounds of deer meat.
"Everyone agrees that there is an overpopulation of deer in Anne Arundel County, and Anne Arundel is one of the only counties that permits unlimited harvest of does in the open bow season (September to January),"Dave said.
Last year FHFH was able to process 214 deer, which equaled about 10,000 pounds of meat. That number has grown each year.
In 2007, they processed 80 deer; by 2008, they processed 125 deer.
Aside from the Anne Arundel Food Bank, the group also gave independently to Sara's House, Grace Church, Waysons Corner Faith Community Church and the South County Assistance Network, to name a few.
There are eight chapters of FHFH in Maryland. Aside from the Anne Arundel chapter, there are also groups in Calvert and St. Mary's counties.
Whenever anyone purchases a Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) hunting license at any sporting goods store - including Marty's on Mayo Road, Kmart in South River Colony in Edgewater, and Bay Pro in Dunkirk, a $1 contribution is made to the state FHFH organization.
In addition, anyone who would like to enhance that contribution can do so at the time of filing their license at these locations.
"There is no minimum amount to contribute. Simply say, 'I want to donate to the venison feeding the hungry program,' and the clerk should be able to accommodate," Dave said.
To give directly to the Anne Arundel chapter, contact Dave McMullen, FHFH, 3612 Tenth Ave., Edgewater, MD 21037.
The group is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, so your contribution could have tax benefits.
"All the money we get goes directly to the program," Dave said.
Also thankful this year is Shelby Lawson, a senior at South River High School, who has been steadily working each year to help her school win a competition against other schools to have the most food collected for the annual "Harvest for the Hungry" food drive.
When Shelby was in ninth grade, she attended her first Harvest for the Hungry assembly at South River.
"After that, I wanted to go around my neighborhood and help people," Shelby said.
That first year she went out with her mom and visited many of the houses in Beverly Beach and Cloverlea, collecting enough to fill the front passenger seat and the well under the seat with cans of food.
"We just went around and knocked on doors. We got a couple from each house," Shelby said.
Each year she did the same thing, usually around Halloween. Her sophomore year she got a wagon and took that around.
By her junior year, she'd enlisted the help of one of her friends, Nadine Bucca. "We tag teamed and were able to cover a lot more area," Shelby said.
This year, Nadine and Shelby went out with the help of Steven and Samuel Kremer, and together they were able to collect 156 pounds of food in a single Halloween evening.
"We basically went from 6 to 9 p.m., and visited the houses with their lights on for trick-or-treaters," Shelby said.
Whether South River High School wins the competition or not, Shelby has certainly won an appreciation for helping those in need.
"It is better than collecting candy on Halloween, and it is a good cause. A lot of people need food, and this is an easy way to do it," Shelby said.
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