Every year, Western Illinois Regional Council-Community Action Agency (WIRC-CAA) coordinates the Hunters Helping the Hungry Program and asks local hunters to donate deer to help feed families in need. While WIRC-CAA is based in Macomb, the agency distributes the deer burger to a network of food pantries throughout Hancock, Henderson, Knox, McDonough, and Warren counties.
Thanks to the generosity of hunters, 7,769 pounds of deer burger was processed from deer donated to the Hunters Helping the Hungry Program and distributed to local pantries.
WIRC-CAA Public Relations Manager Jamie Roth says the need for the over 30 year old program was amplified due to the ongoing pandemic. “Many people who considered themselves financially stable suddenly lost their job and are now worrying about being able to buy groceries for their family,” said Roth. “Before the pandemic, when the demand was lower than it is now, the deer burger supplied by this program was already a vital source of food for some of our partner pantries. We are anticipating the need will continue to grow, and are very thankful for the support we received from the community.”
WIRC-CAA collaborated with the following meat lockers in their service area during the recent hunting season: Blandinsville Locker Service, Blandinsville; Bowen Locker Service, Bowen; Bushnell Locker Service, Bushnell; Farmhouse Meat Company, Carthage; and Vancil Locker Service, Stronghurst.
Roth continued that anyone who needs a helping hand is encouraged to contact WIRC-CAA at 309-837-2997. “Our agency has several programs available to help people when times are tough. In the event that someone is outside of our service area, we can refer them to an agency that is closer to their location,” Roth said.
WIRC’s Community Action Agency department provides efficient and diverse human services to help individuals and families help themselves such as a food pantry, clothing center, home weatherization, and energy assistance program. Free counseling and advocacy services are also offered through the Victim Services department to survivors of abuse.
For more information about Hunters Helping the Hungry or WIRC-CAA, call 309-837-2997, visit http://wirpc.org/, or find WIRC-CAA on social media.
Caption: Thanks to the generosity of hunters, over 7,700 pounds of deer burger has been distributed to a network of food pantries through WIRC-CAA’s Hunters Helping the Hungry Program [Jamie Roth/WIRC-CAA].
***Report Courtesy of the Western Illinois Regional Council-Community Action Agency (WIRC-CAA)***
