The Shadow
ALLEGHANY COUNTY, Va. (VR) – Over the past five years, Virginia’s Hunters for the Hungry program has distributed 12,101 pounds of venison in Alleghany County, providing 48,404 quarter-pound servings of meat to individuals and families struggling with food insecurity.
The venison has been distributed through four local organizations: COPE at McAllister Memorial Presbyterian Church, the Covington Salvation Army, South Covington United Methodist Church Food Pantry and the Clifton Forge Food Pantry.
In neighboring Rockbridge County, the program has distributed an additional 4,776 pounds of venison during the same five-year period, providing 19,104 servings through the Rockbridge Area Relief Association, Natural Bridge/Glasgow Food Pantry and Food for Thought. Combined, the two counties have received 16,877 pounds of venison, equivalent to 67,508 quarter-pound servings.
Hunters for the Hungry director Gary Arrington told The Virginian Review that the program currently does not have a presence in Bath County but is working to re-establish relationships with meat processors and feeding programs in the county.
The program has a long history in the Alleghany Highlands, including the contributions of the late Frank Persinger Sr., who began accepting donated deer for Hunters for the Hungry in Alleghany County in 2000.
Persinger established a collection point at his home, where he installed a refrigerated cooler to store donated deer before processing. He personally handled much of the work, including skinning, cleaning and preparing the meat for distribution.
Over his 25 years of involvement, Persinger helped process and distribute more than 8,000 pounds of venison to local feeding programs, providing approximately 32,000 quarter-pound servings to individuals and families in need throughout Covington and Clifton Forge.
Persinger, who died Jan. 14, 2026, at the age of 90, was recognized by Hunters for the Hungry for his years of service and dedication to the program. His involvement helped establish a local collection and processing operation that provided venison to food assistance organizations throughout the Alleghany Highlands.
Founded in 1991 by David H. Horne, Hunters for the Hungry is marking its 35th year of providing nutritious venison to individuals and families in need across Virginia. Horne established the program to supply food assistance organizations with lean, high-protein red meat, particularly for children and elderly residents who may have limited access to nutritious meals.
Headquartered in Bedford County, the organization operates statewide and has processed and distributed more than 8.3 million pounds of venison since its founding. Over the past five years, the program has averaged 188,165 pounds of venison annually, providing approximately 752,659 quarter-pound servings each year.
Hunters wishing to participate can donate a field-dressed deer at a participating meat processor. A large, mature deer typically yields between 38 and 40 pounds of venison, enough to provide approximately 152 to 160 quarter-pound servings.
Hunters for the Hungry receives no federal or state funding and depends entirely on charitable donations to cover the costs of processing and distributing the meat. According to the organization, every dollar contributed allows the program to process and distribute approximately three quarter-pound servings of venison.
With 48,404 servings distributed in Alleghany County over the past five years, the program continues to provide a source of nutritious protein for residents relying on local food assistance organizations.
For more information on the organization or to locate a participating butcher please visit https://h4hungry.org/ or call 1-800-352-4868.16.
