Farmers, Hunters and 4-H Kids Meat the Need at Local Food Pantries

Hunger in Hendricks County is a real issue with over 15,000 residents, or 1 in every 10, living in food insecure homes meaning they don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Thankfully, Hendricks County is home to the Hendricks County Food Pantry Coalition (HCFPC) which is made up of nearly thirty pantries sharing resources and ideas to better serve individuals in need. However, one item that is rarely available at food pantries is fresh meat. That’s where Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH), a fund of the Hendricks County Community Foundation (HCCF), comes in.  Farmers & Hunters partners with hunters and farmers in states nationwide to provide nutritious meat to feed the hungry of their communities.

This summer, a community collaboration between Farmers & Hunters and the 4-H Fair Livestock Auction provided fresh meat to the member food pantries of the Coalition.  After caring for their animals and showing them at the Hendricks County 4-H Fair, nine Hendricks County students generously donated their livestock to Farmers & Hunters and the Coalition.  In addition, a group of Hendricks County livestock buyers purchased some of the 4-H animals at auction and then donated them back to Farmers & Hunters.  Dave Mood, Chairman of the Hendricks County 4-H Fair Board, and the other fair board members helped organize the generous donation of these animals, which included 16 swine and 4 lambs totaling 4,700 pounds of fresh meat. Together they raised the funds to pay the processing fees, packaging, and distribution to the Hendricks County Food Pantry Coalition.

The partnership between Farmers & Hunters and the Community Foundation is proudly celebrating their 10th year together as successful partners in fighting to put a dent in hunger in Hendricks County. FHFH Coordinator, Don Emry commented, “This is another example of how this community works together with significant results! Farmers & Hunters would like to express their sincere gratitude to the livestock buyers and 4-H students who donated the animals, to LaBlanc Nettles Davis Law Firm and Jay Orner Billiards & Sons for their sponsorship of the processing fees of the livestock, and the volunteers who delivered the meat–Gregg Burks ,Don Stagge and Bill Mattock.”

HCCF Program Officer, Eric Hessel, commented on this partnership, “The Community Foundation is extremely proud to be part of such an outstanding example of community collaboration which brought together nearly 30 food pantries in the Hendricks County Food Pantry Coalition, Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry, the Hendricks County Fair Board and many corporate and individual donors.  The significant amount of nutritious fresh meat donated, processed and distributed goes to show what amazing things can happen when our community works together to serve those in need.”

The community can support the Food Pantry Coalition and/or the Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry of Hendricks County through the Hendricks County Community Foundation’s website at www.hendrickscountycf.org/donate.

The Hendricks County Community Foundation partners with generous people to realize their charitable goals while addressing community needs in meaningful and lasting ways.  The Community Foundation manages assets of over $12 million in a collection of funds created by individuals, families, businesses and organizations for charitable purposes. In 2016, the Community Foundation gave over $860,000 in grants to charitable organizations and scholarships to local students. For more information, call 317-268-6240 or visit www.hendrickscountycf.org. 

As pictured: Farmers & Hunters and Coalition volunteers Don Emry, Gregg Burks, Don Stagge and Bill Mattock deliver 4,700 pounds of fresh meat to the Hendricks County Food Pantry Coalition