Eureka, Ill. — In the 2024–2025 hunting season, Hunters Feeding Illinois distributed 25,794 pounds of frozen, ground venison to 54 food pantries across east-central and southern Illinois. This provided an estimated 97,000 meals, reaching nearly 49,800 families.
Formerly Illinois Deer Donation Program, Hunters Feeding Illinois expanded this year with new partners and increased coverage. Illinois SNAP-Education brought together partners, including Feeding Illinois, Southern Illinois Food Pantry Network, Access Illinois Outdoors, and University of Illinois Extension, to create a statewide network.
Food pantries in 44 east-central and southern Illinois counties were included in the potential donation area, with 54 food pantries in the following counties receiving meat this year: Champaign, Clark, Clay, Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Effingham, Fayette, Handcock, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Marion, Perry, Randolph, Schuyler, Shelby, Union, Washington, and Woodford.
In partnership with Healthy Eating, Active Living Food Systems Partners, Hunters Feeding Illinois brought 2,408 pounds of venison to four pantries in Woodford and Tazewell counties.
“We thank the hunters who donated 35 deer and Bittner’s Meat Company who prepared and packaged the ground venison,” says SNAP-Ed Educator Staci Coussens. “With the high cost of groceries, including meat, we are proud to increase access to lean protein in Woodford and Tazewell counties.”
To support the program for the next hunting season, visit go.illinois.edu/deerdonation and on Facebook at Hunters Feeding Illinois.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.