CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Did you know an average deer yields 60 pounds of meat? This can feed 240 people a meal. Illinois Deer Donation Program returns October 1 for its second donation cycle ready to support food security. The program connects hunters and meat processors to bring ground venison to area food pantries in east-central Illinois.
Hunters can donate a deer for free, as the program covers the processing fee when deer are brought to partnering meat processors. Community members who don’t hunt but want to support food security in their local area, can donate $100 (or more).
Your $100 processes one deer and goes directly to the program’s partnering meat processors, supporting small businesses. Donations are tax deductible and processed through University of Illinois Foundation. For more information on how to donate, visit go.ilinois.edu/deerdonation.
For the 2023 hunting season, the program is expanding to provide donated meat to food pantries in the following counties: Champaign, Clark, Clay, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper, Macon, Moultrie, Piatt, & Shelby.
During the 2022 hunting season, the program helped fund the processing of 202 deer, which yielded 8,414 pounds of ground venison that was available at area food pantries. Questions? Contact the Illinois Deer Donation Program by email mfombell@illinois.edu or visit the Facebook page.
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