The mission of South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger is to encourage and facilitate donation of wild game meat to needy people in South Dakota.
The Sportsmen Against Hunger program was started by Safari Club International in 1989 to help caring sportsmen and sportswomen, through state and local programs, share nature's bounty with the hungry. In South Dakota, a Sportsmen Against Hunger (SDSAH) program was started in 1993 with two hunters, one processor and a few hundred pounds of meat. In 2006, SDSAH became a nonprofit charitable organization with a Board of Directors and obtained Internal Revenue Service 501(c)(3) status.
There are now 25 participating game processors statewide. Processed donated game meat including deer, antelope, elk, bighorn sheep, turkey, pheasants, Canada geese and fish is provided directly to over 32 food pantries or other food relief agencies in 27 counties. Some of the processed meat also goes to Feeding South Dakota Food Distribution Centers in Rapid City, Pierre and Sioux Falls which in turn make the meat available to associated food pantries in their respective areas of the State. To-date, approximately 1,039,500 pounds of meat have been donated and processed which has provided fresh meat for approximately 4,158,000 meals!