Virginia Hunters Who Care Inc

The Hunters for the Hungry program was founded in 1991 by David H. Horne. The program's mission is to provide high-protein venison to those in need through feeding programs that are designed to help those in need at no cost to them. 

For over 34 years, since 1991, the program has now processed and distributed over 8.1 million servings of venison. This amount of meat equates to over 32.6 million quarter-pound servings that have been provided in the Smith Mountain Lake focus area and surrounding areas throughout Virginia. This high-protein lean meat is given to men, women, children, the elderly, the homeless, and veterans at no cost to them through missions, churches, food banks, pantries, and other feeding/distribution agencies that participate with the Hunters for the Hungry program. 

The program accepts deer, through participating processors, that are donated from hunters, farmers, and through herd management efforts by cities and municipalities across the Commonwealth. These deer are skinned, cut, wrapped, and frozen and the meat is then distributed to feeding programs locally that participate with the Hunters for the Hungry program. This high protein essential resource is given to these feeding and distribution agencies at no cost to them in support of their already strained budgets and to provide them with lean red meat which is the hardest for them to acquire.  

Locally, in the Smith Mountain Lake focus area, we have 7 feeding programs working with us. We provide the essential lean venison we produce, to the feeding programs in Franklin County such as God's Provision, Heavenly Manna & Stepping Stone Mission, and Bedford County such as Bedford Christian Ministries, Lake Christian Ministries, AGAPE-Moneta & Parrish Chapel - Vinton and Red Truck Ministries.  This meat is given to them at no cost which assists them with their already strained budgets, provides them with a much-needed protein resource, and allows them to care for their clients providing them this lean meat at no cost to them. 

The program is currently processing venison for $1.50 per pound which is .3750 cents per quarter pound serving. For every dollar the program raises or receives they can provide 3 servings. This is very cost-effective when compared to similar cuts of beef that are currently running between $5.00 and $22.00 per pound. In 2024 the program distributed a total of 222,489 pounds, 889,956 servings, statewide with 30,712 pounds being distributed within Franklin & Bedford Counties. This amount equates to 122,848 servings going to those in the community facing hunger. The program has averaged processing and distributing an average of 188,588 pounds annually over the last 5 years. This amounts to 754,352 quarter-pound servings of essential lean protein going to those less fortunate. 

The program desires to be able to accept every deer made available to it during the 2025 fiscal year and they must have the funds available to cover the processing costs for these deer. This will allow us to take a renewable natural resource and provide healthy lean red meat for our most precious resource, our fellow man.