Hunters Helping the Hungry

Nova Scotia's food banks are looking forward to the beginning of the hunting season and the third year of the Hunters Helping the Hungry program.

Through Feed Nova Scotia, hunters can help ease hunger by donating deer and moose meat to Nova Scotia's food banks. These donations increase the amount of protein available at food banks across the province.

"Last year, Nova Scotia's food banks received almost double the donation from the previous year through the Hunters Helping the Hungry program," said Dianne Swinemar, executive director of Feed Nova Scotia. "After hearing from many hunters who have participated in the past two years, and with deer numbers increasing, we expect the program to be even more successful this year."

"Hunters have made a big impact in Nova Scotia communities by donating a portion of deer or moose meat through the Hunters Helping the Hungry program," said Natural Resources Minister David Morse. "We are proud to be a part of such a wonderful initiative."

The process is easy. After registering the moose or deer, hunters take the carcass to one of 17 participating, registered meat cutters throughout the province and indicate the amount of meat they would like to donate. Feed Nova Scotia then ensures the meat is placed at one of the 150 member food banks, provincewide.

"Most hunters appreciate the opportunity to harvest these animals," said Tony Rodgers, executive director of Nova Scotia's Federation of Anglers and Hunters. "We are privileged to live in a country with wildlife populations abundant enough to be harvested. To share these gifts with those less fortunate is very rewarding."

Hunters Helping the Hungry is a joint initiative of Feed Nova Scotia and the hunting community, in partnership with the Department of Natural Resources, novascotiahunting.com, Eastern Woods and Waters and the Federation of Anglers and Hunters.

For more information on this program and other ways Feed Nova Scotia is helping feed Nova Scotia's hungry, go to www.feednovascotia.ca .