Idaho Hunters Feeding the Hungry provide protein to local food pantries

Hunting season is in full swing, and Idaho Fish and Game expects to have a good harvest.

If you're a hunter and find yourself with more meat than you need, you might think about donating that meat to a local food bank.

Liz Mandelkow, Business Manager of Mustard Seed Ministries and Food Distribution Center, said that they get plenty of donations of shelf-sustainable food, but what’s missing is a good protein source from meat.

"The piece that's important and many times that we're missing is a good protein source, a good red meat source. We always try to have something in the food box, whether it’s hamburger, hot dog, a dozen eggs, a gallon of milk, but those things are expensive and those are the things that are not always donated to our organization," said Mandelkow.

This is where the Idaho Hunters Feeding the Hungry comes in.

Idaho Hunters Feeding the Hungry is a non-profit organization that accepts meat donations or monetary donations.

Hunters are able to give their hunted animal to a participating meat processing plant and designate which food pantry they want to donate to, at no cost to the food pantry.

Executive Director of Idaho Hunters Feeding the Hungry, Jeff Schroeder, said that the hunters can donate as much of the animal that they wish, whether that be the whole animal, or just part of it.

"This gives them an avenue to respect the animals and also to provide for the community. So its the tradition of hunting that we're also looking at, but our number one focus is to get the protein to the families that are in need," said Shroeder.

"We get plenty of donuts, but the good protein we don't get a lot of, and that's what our guests appreciate," said Shroeder.

Idaho Hunters Feeding the Hungry partners with pantries all across the Magic Valley, but the partnership with Mustard Seed Ministries is relatively new.

Mustard Seed is excited to add this to their protein source for families in need.

"it's good quality red meat. As far as I'm concerned, it's the best red meat that's out there," said Schroeder.

If you're interested in donating or getting involved with Idaho Hunters Feeding the Hungry, you can visit their website at ifhf.org.

You can find Mustard Seed Ministries on their Facebook page by searching Mustard Seed Thrift and Resale.