NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL

Nov. 20, 2008
Vol. 38, No. 526

For more information, contact Melanie Rapp, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902, or John Painter, Delaware Department of Correction, 302-857-5232

DOC Facility Partners with DNREC’s Sportsmen Against Hunger Program

GEORGETOWN, Del. – Officials from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Department of Correction today joined a representative from Bay Shore Community Church’s food pantry to tour the DOC’s venison processing facility at the Sussex Community Corrections Center in Georgetown.

Through the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife-sponsored Delaware Sportsmen Against Hunger Program, packages of flash-frozen ground venison produced in the facility will become meals for needy families in the church’s Gumsboro neighborhood.

“I can’t express how important this program is to our mission. We would not be able to serve as many people as we do without the deer meat – and we receive it at no cost, supplementing other food items we purchase at low cost. We rely on that, and it’s just such a blessing,” said Ricky Lecates of Blessings Unlimited, Bay Shore’s food pantry. In these hard economic times, the number of people in need in the area that Blessings Unlimited serves has risen about 50 percent in the last three months, Lecates added.

Statewide, more than 20 charitable organizations like Blessings Unlimited will receive donated venison through the Sportsmen Against Hunger program during the 2008-2009 deer season. The program was founded in 1992 by a coalition of sporting groups as a means for hunters to donate deer to help feed the hungry here in the First State, using participating private butcher shops to process the meat. DOC joined the list to support the program in 2005 with its venison processing facility.

“Making positive contributions to the community, through such programs as Sportsmen Against Hunger, is one mission of the Department of Correction. The offenders involved in this project are utilizing their time within our facilities to provide food for those in need, which is always of importance, but takes on an even more special meaning during the upcoming holiday season,” said DOC Commissioner Carl Danberg.

“Since its inception, the Sportsmen Against Hunger Program has provided nearly 1 million meals, thanks to the hunters who donated the deer and the partnerships we’ve formed with processing facilities,” noted DNREC Deputy Secretary David S. Small. “The success of this program is entirely dependent upon the interactions of everyone involved and the packaged venison produced in this Department of Correction facility is an important component in fulfilling the mission of the program.”

In 2006, Sportsmen Against Hunger brought in the most venison to date - almost 44,500 pounds. Last year, 1,069 deer were donated, producing 35,099 pounds of venison. In 2008, the program has already processed more than 317 deer into 10,518 pounds of venison.

In the four years since joining DNREC in support of the Sportsmen Against Hunger Program, the venison processing facility at SCCC has processed more than 800 deer into 26,000 pounds of venison, including 10,943 pounds in 2006, 7,943 pounds in 2007 and more than 2,000 pounds so far this year. Offenders working in the program complete 40 hours of training in basic butcher shop operations and meat processing.

Offenders involved in the venison processing program are serving sentences in the SCCC’s Violation of Probation Center, generally after committing a technical violation to the terms of their probation. As part of their sentencing, VOP offenders are required to work on community service projects. In 2007, VOP offenders performed more than 154,000 hours of community service work on 110 programs including Sportsmen Against Hunger.

DNREC’s five walk-in coolers are located at the Augustine Wildlife Area in New Castle County, Woodland Beach Wildlife Area east of Smyrna in Kent County, and three locations in Sussex: Redden State Forest near Georgetown, Assawoman Wildlife Area near Bethany Beach and Trap Pond State Park in Laurel.

Any deer dropped off at a cooler must be field dressed and registered, with the registration number written on the field tag attached to the animal. This will allow the Division to verify that a deer has been registered. Division of Fish and Wildlife staff check coolers periodically; however, hunters are asked to call the phone number on the cooler when dropping off a deer to ensure that it will be picked up and processed in a timely manner.

For more information or to volunteer, contact Wayne Lehman at 302-284-1077 in New Castle and Kent counties, or in Sussex contact Joe Shockley at 302-537-3217. For brochures, contact Michael Friel at 302-836-2541. Organizations interested in receiving donated venison may call 302-739-9912.

For additional information on the Sportsmen Against Hunger Program, including a list of butcher shops that also process venison for the Sportsmen Against Hunger Program, please visit www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/Hunting/Pages/SportsmenAgainstHunger.aspx.