There are several ways to help the hungry, be it soup kitchens, donations from restaurants, or collecting canned goods. To some, participation in these service opportunity may be a bit taxing, particularly to those with a lack of time or motivational drive.

Administered by the Conservation Federation of Missouri and the Missouri Department of Conservation, Share the Harvest is a unique way to combine a hobby with a service. For the avid hunter,  Nov. 16  to Jan. 15 marks the event waited on all year: deer hunting season. With Share the Harvest, hunters are given the opportunity to donate some of their yielded venison to those currently without enough food to support themselves or their families.

This year, Senior Jeff Emge introduced the option to the Air Force Junior Reserved Reserved Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC), parents and staff members throughout Lafayette in hopes to capture the attention of anyone with a passion for hunting and a desire to help out in their community.

“Share the Harvest is a great way for hunters to donate to food pantries” Emge said.

“It’s my first year trying it out,” he added.

Donating the venison is easy. A hunter with a desire to donate need only take their deer to an approved meat processor and inform the processor how  much venison they wish to donate. The processor will then package the meat for pick-up by local sponsoring organizations, which will take it to a charitable agency for distribution.

More information is available on http://mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/deer/share-harvest.