Midwest states vary in how they handle lead in donated venison

A walk-in freezer about two stories high sits in one corner of a warehouse owned by a food bank called Hawkeye Area Community Action Program Inc. <br /><br />Chris Ackman, the food bank’s communication manager, points to the shelving racks where any donated venison the organization receives is typically stored.<br /><br />Known as the Help Us Stop Hunger, or HUSH, program, the venison is donated by hunters from around the state, and Ackman says the two-pound tubes of ground meat go pretty quickly, lasting only a few months.<br /><br />“It's a pretty critical program, I think, because there are a lot of hunters in Iowa," he said. "And, it's well enjoyed by a lot of families as well."<br /><br />Similar programs around the country have been applauded as a way for hunters to do something they enjoy while also helping feed those in need. Iowa hunters donate around 3,500 deer a year through the program.