Columbiana Co. agencies see jump in requests for venison

By D.a. Wilkinson

LISBON — A program that provides venison to the needy has seen a jump in requests.

Carol Bretz, executive director of the Community Agency of Columbiana County, and Eileen Dray-Bardon, director of the Columbiana County Department of Job & Family Services, said Wednesday many people are taking the meat.

The program gets the venison through Farmers and Hunters Feeding The Hungry, which allows hunters to donate deer to the program.

In a 13-month period that ended Sept. 30, the Community Agency gave away 534 packages of venison, and the JFS gave away 1,890 packages — for a total of 2,424 packages. The county JFS gives away more because it’s the bigger program.

The packages range in weight from about 2 pounds to about 4 pounds.

In the previous year for the program, the two agencies gave away 1,338 packages.

In the three years of the program, which started in 2007, the number of deer donated grew from a handful to 90 last year.

Bretz said social-service programs want food because, “Hunger is a huge presence in the county.”

There’s no cost for the meat to the needy or disabled.

Bretz said that if the meat had been purchased at a food bank, it could be purchased for as little as 14 cents a pound. But the deer program is free.

Columbiana County Commissioner Jim Hoppel compared the program to politicians’ buying an animal at the county fair and donating it to the needy.

People who don’t want venison have other choices of meat through those donations.

When the program started locally, all the venison was ground up. Local meat cutters said they could make better cuts. The CAA switched to cuts of meat but still has some ground meat.

Bretz praised the hunters who are willing to take time and use their skills to help the needy.

wilkinson@vindy.com