From left, Lorton residents Abena Kodua, Ruth Bioh and Oneida Monterrosa enjoy a bowl of venison chili after picking up groceries at the Lorton Community Action Center. Photo by Tim Peterson.
Abena Kodua of Lorton likes her chili spicier. But she had no problem polishing off a bowl, homemade by Fairfax Station resident and hunter Robert Flanagan with ground venison, rather than beef, chicken or turkey.
Kodua is a single mother who has been coming to the Lorton Community Action Center for supplemental groceries every week for the past two years. “It means a lot to me,” she said of the opportunity for her family to have food on the table.
Despite being “not poor, closer to the middle,” Kodua still struggles. “Thanks to all the people that put this together,” she said.
Flanagan and Springfield resident Tom Dalton were serving the venison chili at an evening grocery distribution on Nov. 10 to give Action Center guests an idea of what is possible when cooking with venison and encourage them to choose it from the center’s meat locker.
THE PAIR represented a local chapter of Suburban Whitetail Management, a nonprofit corporation working with archers to manage overpopulated deer herds and reduce the damage they cause homes and property.
For the last year and a half, they’ve supplied the Lorton Community Action Center with deer meat that is fully processed, vacuum-sealed and ready to be cooked.
“It’s so lean, and very tender,” Dalton said. “Just be careful to not overcook it. There really is no fat on venison.”
In 2014, Flanagan said they gave over 200 pounds of venison to the center. The annual haul by the 160 archers in the local Suburban Whitetail Management group is 550 to 600 deer.
Food Lion and Trader Joes grocery stores also donate some meat to Lorton, but otherwise dinner protein is purchased from the Capital Area Food Bank at $0.19 per pound.
Though it may seem like insignificant savings, Lorton Community Action Center executive director Linda Patterson said the $60 to $75 dollars saved by the donated venison last year can always be used elsewhere in the budget, whether for rice, cooking oil or other unexpected needs of guests.
“Literally every dollar counts,” said Patterson. She explained that same day, they learned a guest and her family were being evicted from their residence over just $100 in missing rent. The Community Action Center was able to help them cover the difference and keep the family in their home.
“It makes a difference, having the money to shift around at times,” Patterson said.
DISTRIBUTIONS take place five times a week at various times of day, serving around 250 families weekly. Food Program manager for Lorton Community Action Center Stephanie Hart buys meat weekly to keep up with the need.
“Having this donation helps an incredible bit,” she said. “Whatever they bring, we don’t have to take from the budget and can help spread out the other meat we do have.”
So far in 2015, Flanagan has donated about 80 pounds of venison to the center in Lorton, doing all the processing himself. For one deer, he said it’s about a two-day project.
Flanagan is encouraging other members of the management organization to do processing themselves as well, and is searching for a local butcher who would be willing to work with them.
For more information on Suburban Whitetail Management visit www.deerdamage.org. Anyone interested in helping process the animals for venison can email Flanagan at info@deerdamage.org.