Gotta get your moose? Donations to a St. John's food bank make sure everyone can

A donation of moose meat and salt fish is a welcome surprise at any food bank, including at the Single ParentAssociation in St. John's.

Thatfood was donatedto the association's food bank on Friday by Barry Fordham and Sharing the Harvest a group that helps hunters and harvesters donate their catch to food banks in Newfoundland and Labrador.

"To us outdoors people, wild game has a very natural value to us. And we value it so highly, sometimes unfortunately we hoard it," said Fordham, the group's co-founder.

WATCH | Game meat brings joy and nostalgia to food bank recipients:

Moose meat and salt fish is a welcome surprise at this St. Johns food bank

2 days ago

Duration 1:57

Sharing the Harvest, a group that helps hunters and harvesters donate their catch to food banks in Newfoundland and Labrador, made a donation of moose meat and salt fish to the Single Parent Association in St. Johns. The food bank says its always great to get game meat, especially in times of food insecurity.

"If you have any excess food in your deep freezer, why not think about especially in these food insecurity times donating it to the food banks or to senior citizens."

The donation comes at a time whenfood banks in Newfoundland and Labrador are reporting an increase in demand for their services.

A recent report from Food Banks Canadashowed that more than twomillion Canadians visited a food bank in March alone, including over 14,000 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

Allison Smith-Bungay, an employment services specialist withthe Single ParentAssociation, said donations like Fordham's can go a long way and are loved by the recipients.

"Hunted and foraged foods often hold a lot of nostalgia, alot of memories of the places they grew up, their childhoods," Smith-Bungay said.

"Our main mission at the end of the day is happy bellies, full bellies, and I think we've been able to deliver on that."

Fordham said he hopes other hunters will consider donating some of their excess meats and other products from the land to help combat food insecurity.

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