By Patrick Whittle, The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Maine - The amount of meat being donated by hunters to a Maine program that provides food to charity groups and hungry families has grown exponentially in recent years.
The Hunters for the Hungry program allows hunters to donate deer, moose and bear meat for use by food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters. Director Jason Hall says the program generated about 1,000 pounds per year when it started nearly 20 years ago. It now generates about 10,000 pounds per year.
The program costs the state $2,000 to $4,000 per year, depending on the volume of donations. Money given to the program has helped defray some of that cost.
The Maine Legislature created the program in 1996 as a way to find a home for potential food that would otherwise be wasted.