Pennsylvania deer kills help feed the needy

Among the needy diners at the CityTeam Ministries in the city of Chester, it has become a menu favorite.

"Some classify it as the best burger they've ever had," said James Kuhn, executive chef at the Delaware County soup kitchen and shelter, "and it's a lot healthier and leaner than beef."

The burger is the product of donated deer meat, most of it from Lower Merion, Montgomery County, which has undertaken annual culls to prune the herd.

Annually in Pennsylvania, as many as 5,000 deer - each providing enough ground meat for about 200 meals - are donated by governments and hunters, according to Hunters for the Harvest, or HSH, the statewide group that coordinates the donations.

More could be coming: Monday marks the opening of rifle season for deer hunters statewide.

Lower Merion is just one source of deer meat and CityTeam one beneficiary.

But like the annual deer kills at Valley Forge National Historical Park, the Lower Merion cull has stirred controversy and drawn pickets from the group Compassion for Animals, Respect for the Environment.

The group's vice president, Lee Hall, questioned the motive for the meat giveaway.

"I think this is something that is done to win public acceptance," she said. "Just because it is charitable doesn't make it OK to kill loads of deer."

But HSH, the group that has been organizing food donations for more than 20 years, says the motives are altruistic and the results invaluable.

"We strive to make a difference in the lives of people who are suffering from economic slump," said John Plowman, HSH executive director. "Whether it be a loss of job, hard financial times, homelessness, at least we can provide nutritious food."

More than 1.85 million people in Pennsylvania - one out of every six - are at risk of hunger, according to Feeding Pennsylvania, a food bank partnership.

The people who run CityTeam, a nonprofit that serves the poor and homeless in the region, say they are grateful for the more than 4,000 pounds of venison the shelter receives annually.

Almost all donated meat is ground, making it versatile and easy to freeze.

"It's one of the only proteins we get in mass amounts," said John Clifford, food services supervisor at CityTeam.

Clifford said other protein sources, such as peanut butter and canned tuna, can be costly.

"When we can put something in the freezer, that is like money in the bank" said Clifford. "It brings peace of mind to know that they are going to be fed a healthy, hearty meal."

"It's a great opportunity for food kitchens to put a nice variety on the menu," said Bill Pascale of Stuff-It Taxidermy in Aston, Delaware County, one of the participating butchers who grind up the meat and package it in two- and five-pound bags.

Pascale said the process begins right after the kill. Field dressing must be done as soon as possible to prevent surface bacteria from growing and to maintain overall quality.

The carcasses are refrigerated as soon as possible to prevent spoilage, and then delivered to the butchers. The ground meat then is stored in freezers.

This year, HSH's goal is to distribute 100,000 pounds of processed venison to more than 4,000 local charities, including CityTeam, to feed hungry families across the state.

"This week we made chili; we've made sloppy joes and burgers," Kuhn said.

"You can do tons of things with ground venison," Clifford said.

"People are selflessly coming together for the needs of others," he added. "The hunters, the people putting it together, the butchers, they are making a difference.

"When you have something going like this, you can change the world."