Donations During Maine's Deer Season provide meat to food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and households across the state.

Governor LePage urges support for Hunters for the Hungry Program 

Donations During Maine's Deer Season provide meat to food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and households across the state 

 

 

AUGUSTA – With the 2015 hunting season underway, Governor Paul R. LePage is again urging Maine hunters to consider supporting the Hunters for the Hungry Program by donating all or part of their harvest to feed families in need. The popular program provides a means for Maine hunters, as well as hunters from other states, to donate harvested game to food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and households with a medical need.

“The Hunters for the Hungry Program is a way that Maine hunters can pursue a sport they love and help their neighbors at the same time,” said Governor LePage. “Donations can provide meat to food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and households across the state. The fact that this program has grown so steadily is both a testament to the need and the generosity of Mainers.”  

Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Commissioner Walt Whitcomb noted that since its establishment in 1996, the Hunters for the Hungry Program has provided thousands of nutritious meals to people across the state.

“Since 1996, Maine sportsmen and women have contributed to a program that provides nutritious meals to people across Maine,” said Whitcomb. “The Hunters for the Hungry Program puts high quality, native protein on the tables of Maine families.”

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry distributes many types of donations to food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and households with a medical need. The Hunters for the Hungry Program is part of the Department’s Emergency Food Assistance Program. It is done in cooperation with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s wardens, Maine State Troopers and hunters, are all working towards a common goal of helping fellow Mainers.

The program accepts bear, deer and moose donations. Road kill donations are also accepted, provided the meat is not damaged. Hunters do not pay for the processing of donated meat. Meat processing costs are paid for by the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry or the charity that receives the food. Hunters choosing to keep their game can still donate a few pounds to the program. Meat processors that are interested in getting involved with the program and learning how it works should call 207-287-7513.

For more information, to donate, or to get connected to a Hunters for the Hungry participating meat processor call toll free, 1-888-4DEERME (1-888-433-3763). The program also has a Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maine-Hunters-for-the-Hungry/197411763763406

For more information about The Emergency Food Assistance Program:

http://www.maine.gov/dacf/ard/tefap/index.shtml

For more information about the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, go to: http://www.maine.gov/dacf

Maine DHHS Announces Asset Test for Food Stamps

 

*$5,000 asset limit applies to cash, snowmobiles, boats, motorcycles, and more in childless households receiving food stamps*

**AUGUSTA** - The Maine Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday announced the implementation of a new rule within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamps, that will impose a $5,000 asset test to households without children that receive the benefit.

There will be a public hearing on the routine technical rule change on October 6 in Augusta, with full implementation expected in the following weeks. Under the rule, those applying or re-applying for SNAP benefits will be required to disclose certain assets. If those assets exceed $5,000 in value, the applicant will be ineligible for benefits. The asset test is a provision of federal law that Maine has waived in recent years.

For the purposes of the rule, assets do not include equity in a home or a household's primary vehicle. Assets do include the balance of bank accounts, snowmobiles, boats, motorcycles, jet skis, all-terrain vehicles, recreational vehicles, campers, and other valuable assets.

"Most Mainers would agree that before someone receives taxpayer-funded welfare benefits, they should sell non-essential assets and use their savings," said Governor Paul R. LePage. "Hard-working Mainers should not come home to see snowmobiles, four wheelers or jet skis in the yards of those who are getting welfare. Welfare is a last resort, not a way of life."

"We are continually evaluating ways to prioritize funding for those who need it most while transforming the welfare system from a culture of entitlement to a culture of self-reliance," added DHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew. "When people see that some are using welfare as a first line of defense to keep their boats and motorcycles, rather than using welfare as a safety net, it hurts the public perception of the program."

The rule change will apply to approximately 8,600 individuals on food stamps. Maine in 2014 ranked first in the nation for its decline in food stamp dependency, according to the Federal Nutrition Service (FNS), thanks to the LePage Administration's decision to re-impose the work requirement for able-bodied, 18-49 year old childless adults on the program-a similar federal requirement that had been waived by Maine.