November 23, 2025 • 8 mins
Originally aired on November 22, 2025. Doug's informational interview with Brendon Olson, for your listening pleasure.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
In this segment, we're going to talk about making sure
everybody's got some nutritious meat on the table this holiday season,
and not just not just on the last Thursday of November.
Every year, the Houston Food Bank provides food for thousands
of families this time of year, and a lot of
that meat they distribute comes from hunters and processors who
participate in the Hunters for the Hungry program. With that,
(00:23):
I will bring in Brandon Olsen for our annual talk
about Hunters for the Hungry. Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Brandon, Hi, Doug, thanks for having me on you bet.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
So, did I read correctly that throughout its history, Hunters
for Hungary's hold out more than what ten million servings
of venison to Texans who need healthy, glean meat.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Yes, so that's correct. So Houston Texans or Houston Food Bank,
we are having a Hunch for the Hungry program. But
the Hunter for the Hungry program is a statewide feeding
Texas program. So yes, across the state we've been able
to get you said, millions of pounds of venison donated
to families.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
And boy, they sure need it too, don't they.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Yes, their protein is a protein's expensive and lean protein,
healthy protein like venison is a real treat to people.
So being able to get them, you know, these donated
pounds through the program, while also having hunters be able
to go out and you know, enjoyed sport more and
spend more time out in nature. It's it's really a
win win for everyone.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Can you provide a kind of a very brief history
of how Hunters from Hunger got started?
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Sure? So, Houston Food Bank has been doing Hunters with
the Hungry for about seven years now. But as far
as the program itself, I think it started back in
the eighties, if I'm not mistaken, But it just came
about from the need of having a way to utilize
that venison that needs to go through the processors that
(01:53):
you know, you can't really find on the grocery store shelves,
and just getting it into the hands of people who
needs the most fast.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
For to Now, how is this program going so far
this season?
Speaker 2 (02:04):
This season, so far, it's been good. We've already had
a couple of hunters go and donate to some of
our partner processors. We have Chapel Hill Sausage and Chapel Hill.
We have Midway Meat Market out in Katie Bay Area
Deer Processing in Pasadena and Junior Smokehouse out in Highland,
And I've been working with those guys and they're all
great partners and really awesome processors. So they've been communicating
(02:27):
with me. We've had some donations of people you know
already have to jump of the season, really eager to
pus pate and come back and you know, help feed family.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Sure, let's talk about how the process worked from the
time a hundred shoots it. Dear, it's on the ground,
they feel dress it. They have to feel dress at first,
and then from there through the process of how it
finally gets to the food bank. Walk us down that path,
will you.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Yeah? Sure? Thing, So, like you said, from the beginning,
it starts off, you know, out on the lease like
you're hunting already and say you have extra tags and
or you just have extra room in your heart to give.
Hunters will take those deer, like you said, that are
tagged and cleaned. They will bring them into those partner
(03:13):
processors the same as they would as any other deer
they were hunting. They will drop off those deer to
the processors and as zero charged to the hunters themselves.
Those processors will then take that meat, they will process it,
they'll grind it down into two pound bags of ground
meat hamburger meat style. And then from there we have
(03:36):
community partners, food banks or food pantries that are going
and picking up those pounds from those processors. So each
processor that we have in the program is partnered with
a specific food pantry in their communities, so that way,
all of those pounds that are getting donated are being
able to stay within those local communities.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
You know, and from what you said there, Brandon, you
kind of you just rolled it rolls right off your
tongue because you've said it so many times. But there's
no charge to the hunter. That the processors absorb the
cost of processing that deer and then getting it two
hundreds for the hungry. So and I guarantee you there
were people thinking, well, yeah, that sounds fun, but what's
it gonna cost me to do that? It doesn't cost
(04:15):
him a dime?
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Does it not a dime? Exactly?
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Do agree?
Speaker 2 (04:19):
And then Houston Food Bank, through Feeding Sexes, we then
reimbursed those processors for the time and the effort that
they put in to help make this program happen. You know,
I did notice though, that there's a process reimbursed Go ahead.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Oh, I was just gonna say, I didn't notice that
there's a specific list of what can and cannot be well,
not what can't, but what can be donated. You can't
just roll up in there with any skinned, out field dressed,
four legged animal. It's got to be where's that list.
I'll read them out for you. Access deer yes, black
buck yes, fallow deer yes, mule deer yes, nil, guy yes,
(04:59):
or ex yes. Silk it should be psyched deer, not
silk a deer, that's funny. And then whitetail deer as well.
So it's gonna cover most of the exotics, even that
a lot of people in Texas would shoot. And if
anybody's having trouble getting rid of their access deer, they
can call me too. I don't know about you, but
I wouldn't mind having some of that on my shelf.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
No, for sure. I mean, like you said, that's the
that's the full list that we have available. And any
of those deer, bring them into the processors and yeah,
as long as they're as long as they're addressed and tagged,
you can we can really help a lot of families
in need right now.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
It's a fantastic program. And it's opened all the way
through the general season, right.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Yes, sir, So it's gonna be run through that mid January.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
That's so fantastic, man. I just I've been talking about
this every chance I've gotten with Paula and now with you,
and I'm really happy to help you guys in any
way I can. If if you get to the end
of like the middle of December or somewhere around the
end of December, and you're not getting enough deer that
not as many. If you guys want, call me, we'll
talk about it again. Okay, Thank you, Doug.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
I really appreciate it. And like we said, we've already
had people coming back this year to return, you know,
come back out of people who have donated previously. But
I'm really excited to really start growing this program. You know,
I want to see it take off, and i want
to see it all across our eighteen county service area
that he's to food bake services. Do you have if
you have any landowners or any processors out there that
(06:26):
want to participate in the program, and also just you know,
to the regular hunters who have room in their coolers
and trucks and extra tags, and they want to participate
and help out. You know, I really appreciate you hoping
to share the message.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
And there's correct me if I'm wrong, But there's really
not a point during the season when you would would
call me and say, Okay, tell them to stop now
we got plenty. You're not going to do that.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
I no, you know, that would be a great problem.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
I wouldn't.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
I hope I can't call back, Sorry to call back
and tell people that were full. But until that point, though,
bring them in you keep it.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
And yeah, I've got a lot of friends who have
access to a lot of deer and if they can
find one of those processors within uh comfortable driving range
and and take them and drop them off there and
get them processed for nothing, and then feed a bunch
of people all through the winter, that would be awesome.
Brandon Olson, thank you so much, my friend.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Yes, sir, thank you. And for any more information on
the program, you can go to Houstonfoodbank dot org slash
Hunters for the Hungry or you can shoot me an
email at Hunters for the Hungry at Houstonfoodbank dot org.
And we appreciate everyone's going to go out and donate
this year my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Yeah, thank you, Brendan, see buddy all all right, yeah,
holy cal that that's such a good program and I'm
so in favor of that. It doesn't doesn't cost you
or me a dime to drop a deer off there,
except except for maybe the gas it takes to get there.
And at pretty much any place you're going to take
one of those things, you'd find yourself a reason. Uh
(07:56):
as if providing food to people who really truly need it,
and especially the way we kind of hit that bump
for the people who most desperately needed food, We kind
of hit a bump when the government shut down for
as long as it did. So maybe help those people
refill their freezers with some really really nutritious meat, all
of those deer species. You can go to the website
(08:17):
again and just look and see exactly what they can
and can't take. Go to Hunters for the Hungary at
Houstonfoodbank dot org and you'll see all about that program.
In this segment, we're going to talk about making sure
everybody's got some nutritious meat on the table this holiday season,
and not just not just on the last Thursday of November.
Every year, the Houston Food Bank provides food for thousands
of families this time of year, and a lot of
that meat they distribute comes from hunters and processors who
participate in the Hunters for the Hungry program. With that,
(00:23):
I will bring in Brandon Olsen for our annual talk
about Hunters for the Hungry. Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Brandon, Hi, Doug, thanks for having me on you bet.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
So, did I read correctly that throughout its history, Hunters
for Hungary's hold out more than what ten million servings
of venison to Texans who need healthy, glean meat.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Yes, so that's correct. So Houston Texans or Houston Food Bank,
we are having a Hunch for the Hungry program. But
the Hunter for the Hungry program is a statewide feeding
Texas program. So yes, across the state we've been able
to get you said, millions of pounds of venison donated
to families.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
And boy, they sure need it too, don't they.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Yes, their protein is a protein's expensive and lean protein,
healthy protein like venison is a real treat to people.
So being able to get them, you know, these donated
pounds through the program, while also having hunters be able
to go out and you know, enjoyed sport more and
spend more time out in nature. It's it's really a
win win for everyone.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Can you provide a kind of a very brief history
of how Hunters from Hunger got started?
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Sure? So, Houston Food Bank has been doing Hunters with
the Hungry for about seven years now. But as far
as the program itself, I think it started back in
the eighties, if I'm not mistaken, But it just came
about from the need of having a way to utilize
that venison that needs to go through the processors that
(01:53):
you know, you can't really find on the grocery store shelves,
and just getting it into the hands of people who
needs the most fast.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
For to Now, how is this program going so far
this season?
Speaker 2 (02:04):
This season, so far, it's been good. We've already had
a couple of hunters go and donate to some of
our partner processors. We have Chapel Hill Sausage and Chapel Hill.
We have Midway Meat Market out in Katie Bay Area
Deer Processing in Pasadena and Junior Smokehouse out in Highland,
And I've been working with those guys and they're all
great partners and really awesome processors. So they've been communicating
(02:27):
with me. We've had some donations of people you know
already have to jump of the season, really eager to
pus pate and come back and you know, help feed family.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Sure, let's talk about how the process worked from the
time a hundred shoots it. Dear, it's on the ground,
they feel dress it. They have to feel dress at first,
and then from there through the process of how it
finally gets to the food bank. Walk us down that path,
will you.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Yeah? Sure? Thing, So, like you said, from the beginning,
it starts off, you know, out on the lease like
you're hunting already and say you have extra tags and
or you just have extra room in your heart to give.
Hunters will take those deer, like you said, that are
tagged and cleaned. They will bring them into those partner
(03:13):
processors the same as they would as any other deer
they were hunting. They will drop off those deer to
the processors and as zero charged to the hunters themselves.
Those processors will then take that meat, they will process it,
they'll grind it down into two pound bags of ground
meat hamburger meat style. And then from there we have
(03:36):
community partners, food banks or food pantries that are going
and picking up those pounds from those processors. So each
processor that we have in the program is partnered with
a specific food pantry in their communities, so that way,
all of those pounds that are getting donated are being
able to stay within those local communities.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
You know, and from what you said there, Brandon, you
kind of you just rolled it rolls right off your
tongue because you've said it so many times. But there's
no charge to the hunter. That the processors absorb the
cost of processing that deer and then getting it two
hundreds for the hungry. So and I guarantee you there
were people thinking, well, yeah, that sounds fun, but what's
it gonna cost me to do that? It doesn't cost
(04:15):
him a dime?
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Does it not a dime? Exactly?
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Do agree?
Speaker 2 (04:19):
And then Houston Food Bank, through Feeding Sexes, we then
reimbursed those processors for the time and the effort that
they put in to help make this program happen. You know,
I did notice though, that there's a process reimbursed Go ahead.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Oh, I was just gonna say, I didn't notice that
there's a specific list of what can and cannot be well,
not what can't, but what can be donated. You can't
just roll up in there with any skinned, out field dressed,
four legged animal. It's got to be where's that list.
I'll read them out for you. Access deer yes, black
buck yes, fallow deer yes, mule deer yes, nil, guy yes,
(04:59):
or ex yes. Silk it should be psyched deer, not
silk a deer, that's funny. And then whitetail deer as well.
So it's gonna cover most of the exotics, even that
a lot of people in Texas would shoot. And if
anybody's having trouble getting rid of their access deer, they
can call me too. I don't know about you, but
I wouldn't mind having some of that on my shelf.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
No, for sure. I mean, like you said, that's the
that's the full list that we have available. And any
of those deer, bring them into the processors and yeah,
as long as they're as long as they're addressed and tagged,
you can we can really help a lot of families
in need right now.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
It's a fantastic program. And it's opened all the way
through the general season, right.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Yes, sir, So it's gonna be run through that mid January.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
That's so fantastic, man. I just I've been talking about
this every chance I've gotten with Paula and now with you,
and I'm really happy to help you guys in any
way I can. If if you get to the end
of like the middle of December or somewhere around the
end of December, and you're not getting enough deer that
not as many. If you guys want, call me, we'll
talk about it again. Okay, Thank you, Doug.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
I really appreciate it. And like we said, we've already
had people coming back this year to return, you know,
come back out of people who have donated previously. But
I'm really excited to really start growing this program. You know,
I want to see it take off, and i want
to see it all across our eighteen county service area
that he's to food bake services. Do you have if
you have any landowners or any processors out there that
(06:26):
want to participate in the program, and also just you know,
to the regular hunters who have room in their coolers
and trucks and extra tags, and they want to participate
and help out. You know, I really appreciate you hoping
to share the message.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
And there's correct me if I'm wrong, But there's really
not a point during the season when you would would
call me and say, Okay, tell them to stop now
we got plenty. You're not going to do that.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
I no, you know, that would be a great problem.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
I wouldn't.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
I hope I can't call back, Sorry to call back
and tell people that were full. But until that point, though,
bring them in you keep it.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
And yeah, I've got a lot of friends who have
access to a lot of deer and if they can
find one of those processors within uh comfortable driving range
and and take them and drop them off there and
get them processed for nothing, and then feed a bunch
of people all through the winter, that would be awesome.
Brandon Olson, thank you so much, my friend.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Yes, sir, thank you. And for any more information on
the program, you can go to Houstonfoodbank dot org slash
Hunters for the Hungry or you can shoot me an
email at Hunters for the Hungry at Houstonfoodbank dot org.
And we appreciate everyone's going to go out and donate
this year my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Yeah, thank you, Brendan, see buddy all all right, yeah,
holy cal that that's such a good program and I'm
so in favor of that. It doesn't doesn't cost you
or me a dime to drop a deer off there,
except except for maybe the gas it takes to get there.
And at pretty much any place you're going to take
one of those things, you'd find yourself a reason. Uh
(07:56):
as if providing food to people who really truly need it,
and especially the way we kind of hit that bump
for the people who most desperately needed food, We kind
of hit a bump when the government shut down for
as long as it did. So maybe help those people
refill their freezers with some really really nutritious meat, all
of those deer species. You can go to the website
(08:17):
again and just look and see exactly what they can
and can't take. Go to Hunters for the Hungary at
Houstonfoodbank dot org and you'll see all about that program.
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