Expanding Capital Region program delivers venison to veterans

Venison for Veterans

Dozens for people showed up to assemble special care packages. The program Venison for Veterans broke some records this year.

Norman Lennon is a proud veteran of the U.S. Air Force.

He is also a hunter who enjoys venison.

“I used to hunt deer all the time,” he said. “I’ve got three trophies at home on the wall.”

Monday he got a delivery of venison and other meat through the program Venison for Veterans.

Expert and avid hunter Richard Bumpus got one, too.

“My son hunts and so he takes him up sometimes, but he hasn’t been able to go,” said Linda Bumpus.

The bags were assembled by many volunteers at Fulton Montgomery Community College, with venison for seniors and veterans who may not get to hunt a lot, but enjoy it.

“It’s just there is a need for some healthy, healthy food, and when the prices are so high for groceries, this becomes very beneficial to them,” said organizer Tom Georgia.

“Hunters donate it, the clubs donate it, we donate it, and then the deer gets butchered into steaks, into sausage, into ground venison,” said Fulton County Sheriff Richard Giardino.

The program keeps expanding. This year, they delivered 4,000 pounds of venison to about 250 veterans and seniors.

This year, in addition to Fulton and Montgomery Counties, they included people in Schoharie, Saratoga, and Herkimer Counties.

We rode along with Fulton County Sheriff’s Sergeant Wayne Hulslander, who is himself a veteran.

First stop, Navy veteran Charles Snell, who signed up for the delivery.

“Because we love venison and I didn’t get a deer this year,” he said.

We found veteran Ronald Quackenbush working outside. He was happy to get his delivery, and especially from a fellow Marine.

“Well, it’s ideal,” he said. “You like venison, you get venison, you don’t have to go out, you people deliver it right to the door here. I mean, what more could you ask for?”