WYRZ.org 98.9 WYRZ – The Voice of Hendricks County
(Indiana) –– Honda Manufacturing of Indiana recently awarded Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry a grant for $7,500 to be used to serve Indiana residents. These funds will help Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry pay processing fees for large game and livestock donations within Indiana. The processed meat will then be given to area hunger-relief agencies.
Founded in 2011, Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry is asking area hunters and farmers to take their large game or livestock to a participating meat processor. The donation will be processed, packaged and frozen at no cost (plus, farmers may write off the fair market value on their taxes). Local hunger-relief agencies will be contacted for pick up and distribution of this nutritious protein back into the community. “We are very excited about our “Meat” the Need program, “said Debra Treesh, Executive Director of Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry, “and we’re pleased that Honda is continually willing to make an investment in our communities.”
Lack of food does not only affect the homeless or unemployed. The economy may be showing signs of improvement but many hardworking Hoosiers are still living paycheck to paycheck, regularly having to choose between paying bills, obtaining medicine or buying groceries. In these homes, an unexpected bill of any sort (like a major car repair or medical bill) can throw an already tight budget into a downward spiral. According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap, 31% of working Indiana residents who are food insecure do not qualify for food-assistance programs. These residents have to turn to charitable food assistance networks such as food banks, pantries, hunger ministries, etc… And the hardest commodity for food banks to obtain? Protein, a nutrient that is part of every cell in your body and vital to brain/body development.
More than 300,000 Indiana children have no idea where their next meal is coming from…
“The grant provided by Honda Manufacturing of Indiana will pay to process about 5,500 pounds of donated large game and livestock, which will then be distributed to area hunger-relief agencies – providing over 22,000 meals to residents in need within our communities,” said Treesh. In the last seven years, Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry has helped to distribute approximately 1.2 million pounds of meat to Indiana food banks, providing over 4.8 million meals to Hoosiers in need. “To date, we have 83 participating meat processors working within 85 counties in Indiana to aid us in our mission and to ensure residents in need are served,” shared Amber Zecca, Fund Development Director of Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry. “We’re proud to support “Meat” the Need,” said Emily Flanigan, Communications and Community Relations Lead. “Health & Safety is one of our four core areas of giving, and this program addresses food insecurity throughout Indiana. We’re happy to impact the lives of those who will receive the 22,000 meals provided by our grant funding.”
On average, the cost of this donated meat is about $1.30 per pound, which is less than $.30 per meal!
Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry is accepting donations to fund our “Meat” the Need program throughout Indiana and is continuously looking for volunteers to help us in our efforts to feed the hungry and reduce hunger issues throughout Indiana. For more information on the Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry program, its services and to find participating meat processors in your area, or to find out how you can help, please visit www.HoosiersFeedingtheHungry.org.
