In Georgia, hunters are turning excess deer into meals for those in need through the Hunters for the Hungry program. Amid rising food insecurity in rural areas, this initiative has expanded with state funding to process and distribute more meat locally. Processors like Wise Brothers in Savannah are key players, sending hundreds of pounds to charities that feed thousands daily.
On the outskirts of Savannah, deer brought by hunters to Wise Brothers Processing often end up not in personal freezers, but in community soup kitchens. Debra Wise, who manages the family-run business, explained that their donations support the Old Savannah City Mission, which serves over 250 people three meals a day. This year alone, they have contributed 500 pounds of ground venison.
The effort is part of the Georgia Wildlife Federation's Hunters for the Hungry program, which encourages donations of surplus game. Hunters in the state may harvest up to 12 deer annually, but not all can store or consume that much. Recent state funding of $350,000 per year has boosted the program, increasing participating processors from six to 56 and adding freezer trailers. Officials aim to collect 140,000 pounds of meat this year, enough to feed an estimated 560,000 people, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
"They reached out to us and asked us if we would be interested in accepting the deer for the hunter program, and of course we jumped right on it," Wise said. "Anything to help someone out, we're all about it."
While the program operates statewide, its rural focus addresses Georgia's high food insecurity rates. Nearly 15 percent of families lack reliable access to food, per Feeding America data, with rural counties hit hardest—Hancock County sees 47 percent of children affected. Nationally, 86 percent of the most food-insecure counties are rural. Despite Georgia leading in broiler chickens, hatching eggs, and peanuts, plus substantial beef, dairy, corn, and blueberry production, large-scale farming feeds broader markets rather than locals.
University of Georgia professor Vanessa Shonkwiler noted that the centralized food system fails to serve everyone, especially in spread-out rural areas. "One size doesn't fit all," she said. "And it's really the collaboration between different entities that makes it work or doesn't."
Climate disruptions exacerbate volatility in prices and supplies. Federal funding cuts, including a canceled USDA grant for rural programs in southwest Georgia, have strained nonprofits further. Yet local initiatives persist: Wise Brothers recently donated to a family with a sick child via a church request.
"That brings joy to our hearts," Wise reflected, emphasizing community reciprocity amid challenges.