Hunters' game donations help feed hungry Hoosiers

Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry, in partnership with 85 meat processors statewide, gives 250,000 pounds of meat to food banks every year.

Due to COVID-19, they say the need for their program is greater than ever.

New death.

Tonight -- food banks looking for help filling their meat shelves are finding it thanks to deer firearms.fox 55's nico pennisi talks to a local meat processing plant about how hunters are helping feed the hungry this season ?nat?

"this deer is really special to me."

In the basement of doug treesh's dekalb county home ..

Holds his trophies.treesh's "mancave," filled with deer from his hunting trips.

Doug treesh: "hunting just gets you out into the great outdoors, fresh air, especially this year with the covid going on.

It's the perfect place for social distancing."a few yards down the road is d&d, his business where he and his crew work to process meat -- ranging from livestock to kills from his hunts.

It also helps feed families who face food insecurity due to the pandemic.

?nat?

"a deer like this here will provide about 200 meals for the needy."

D&d meat processing is one of 85 meat processors in indiana that partner with hoosiers feeding the hungry, a nonprofit that donates meat to hunger relief agencies.

Nico stand up: "in indiana 880,000 people are food insecure - 270,000 of which are children.

Meat like this helps to lower that number."

Fund development director amber zecca says the process is simple: amber zecca: "you get a hunter that wants to donate a deer, takes it to one of our processors, we process it and then we call the food banks."

She says that people can only eat and fill their freezers so much.

When there's leftovers, that's when "hoosiers feeding the hungry" comes in.?nat?

"we get an average of 50 to 60 deer donated per season in this butcher shop alone, so imagine statewide."

The organization usually donates a quarter million pounds of meat a year.

Because of the hardships caused by the pandemic, she hopes to have even more.

Amber zecca: "there's people out there that were laid-off, or they're shut down, and they really need the help."in dekalb county, im nico pennisi, fox 55 news.

For more information on how to donate visit hoosiers