The Story Continues- caring enough to act
A pattern started to emerge and once again it started with a phone call, but this time the voice said can I come and see you, ninety minutes later Steve was telling me his latest idea. Five freezers strategically placed around the district for hunters to place unwanted venison trim, that would be minced and donated. Less than 24 hours later this idea was named Hunters4Hope. The goal 400/500kgs of venison mince per month to distribute, a regular source of protein, to food banks and community organisations.
As an organisation that wants to feed the hungry and help those who find themselves in need, knowing there is a regular supply of protein is a game changer. At Community Kai, we had been using some of the venison often mixed with beef but not always. We are told some people don’t like venison but in reality, for most, it’s not that they don’t like it, it’s that they have never tried it.
In late September the North Canterbury Hunting Competition Committee which ran the pilot for the venison meat and Steve came and not only served dinner but cooked back strap for everyone. Oh, what a night, the kitchen overflowing with helpers, laughter, conversation, and banter that only people who know each other well can. The back strap was a hit, with little pieces being wrapped up to be taken home for loved ones to try. Hunters4Hope was officially launched, it couldn’t have been more appropriate that the North Canterbury Hunting Competition Committee were there after all they stood up and were willing to take a punt in June during their competition. I was told by someone they didn’t like venison when they came to get a second helping of the delicious Spaghetti Bolognese, I smiled and didn’t have the heart to tell them what the main ingredient was!
Community Kai and its people are the highlight for many of us during the week, it’s unfiltered, raw, and unpredictable but 100% real. To be able to see and hear the joy of a new food experience for some and a treat for others is something that will remain for a long time.
What’s next for us at Hope Community Trust may be venison recipes, education, and a venison cooking demonstration. Our goal is food security, to have reliable food supplies which means we can be less reliant on traditional food supplies, to create certainty for the future and a food supply to feed our community.
In the comfort of our home, or in conversation It’s very easy to right the wrongs of the world, to say how things should be done and who should be doing it. But for a community to truly be a community we need passionate people that care enough to act. Hunters4Hope and the North Canterbury Hunting Competition Committee are people and organisations that care enough to act, we consider it a privilege that they are willing to show our people and community how much they care. As an organisation, Hope Community Trust sees it as a privilege to work alongside these two organisations and to show our community that we care enough to act.
I had another phone call from Steve, his next words were guess what….. do you think you can handle 4 tons of venison between January and June but that is another story.
You can find Hunters4Hope & North Canterbury Hunting Competition Committee on Facebook
image shot at Hope Community Trust
