Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry Marks Major Milestone in McLean County, Expands Support for Local Students

Since 2015, the McLean County chapter of Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry (KHFH) has quietly, but significantly, strengthened the community’s food security with support from Independence Bank, who hs been covering the deer processing fees for a decade. The initiative began and grew under the direction of Chad Hall, the Bank’s current Logan and former McLean County President. To date, the program has reached an estimated 1,000 processed deer, which translates into roughly 250,000 individual servings of venison donated to local families in need.

McLean County’s current Independence Bank President, Derek Miller, said the local chapter’s success stems from a simple, yet powerful, connection: hunters and landowners with excess game are linked directly to food pantries that can distribute it to residents. The McLean County Farm Bureau and God’s House of Hope in Island have been key partners in building and supporting the chapter’s presence in the county.

“The support from our community has been incredible and continuesmaking a wider impact,” Miller said, noting that the Bank has seen firsthand how meaningful a consistent protein source can be to families who rely on local food assistance programs.

This year also marks a new chapter in the initiative. For the first time, Independence Bank is partnering with Jeremy Shiflet of the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources and KHFH to introduce the addition of a Meat Stick Program to the McLean County School System’s existing Backpack Program. Each week, approximately 50 students benefit from the Backpack Program, which provides weekend meals to children who may otherwise go without. The new partnership will add a reliable protein option to students’ meal bags throughout the school year. Once the meat sticks arrive, Independence Bank will deliver them to the school system’s Family Resource Center, which then provides items to select students.

According to KHFH, the organization is a volunteer-run effort powered by hunters and conservationists who donate harvested deer each season. The nonprofit leads processing as well as distribution costs, ensuring the venison reaches families in need while giving hunters a practical way to support hunger relief efforts in their own communities.

According to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry statewide supplied venison for nearly half a million meals in 2023. Additional information can be found at kyhuntersforthehungry.info.

Questions, along with opportunities to get involved, may be directed to Independence Bank’s Whitney Parker who has managed the program for the last several years.

She can be reached at (270) 278-2351.