Comcast and Sportsman Outdoor Group team up for unique meal at FIT

MANCHESTER, N.H. – Volunteers from the Outdoor Sportsman Group and Comcast gathered at the Families in Transition (FIT) Adult Emergency Shelter on Thursday to provide 138 somewhat unique meals to the city’s homeless population.

For the past three years, this event has come to the shelter and provided guests with a venison-based meal, looking to help fight food insecurity while also publicizing game meat. The event is part of a larger initiative of the Outdoor Sportsman Group known as “Hunt, Fish, Feed.”

The collaboration between Comcast and Outdoor Sportsman Group came due to the latter’s three outdoor-based television channels, particularly the Sportsman Channel.

Jeffrey Brown, a director of distribution and affiliate marketing with the three television channels of the Outdoor Sportsman Group, has volunteered for Hunt, Fish, Feed several times here in New Hampshire as well as in other parts of the country serving lesser-known meat-based meals. At one point, all of the meat came from locally-based hunters and fishermen, but the sheer number of Hunt, Fish, Feed events at homeless shelters and military bases across the U.S. has made continuing that tradition unfeasible. However, Brown says that the event would still occur with more common meats, although he’s glad that venison was available.

“(Venison) is great for you, it’s sustainable, and we’re right in the heart of deer-hunting season right now. It’s very similar to ground beef, high in protein and low in fat,” he said. “And yet it’s difficult to find, it’s a very unique thing for a lot of people and many people that try it talk about how great it is and love how good it is for you.”

The event not helped feed guests at the shelter, but also helped buoy the spirits of those operating the shelter.

“I think it’s really important. We always have volunteers in the shelter, we live and die by volunteers, and it’s amazing for them and my staff to see that there are so many people in the community that care about what’s happening under this roof,” said FIT Adult Emergency Shelter Operations Manager Jeffrey Ferguson. “And I think it’s extra fun because of the nature of this meal we’re having.”

“Our partnership with Comcast started many years ago and they’ve always been a great partner,” said FIT Director of Development Lauren Bombardier. “This is really important to have these community relationships. They’re in here making a great meal, serving something different like venison tacos, it’s a great example of the importance of our partnerships and relationships in the community.”

Josh Chace, one of the volunteers at the event, is a product manager with Comcast. This was the third time Chase volunteered at FIT, and one of the numerous volunteer efforts he has undertaken during his time working for Comcast.

“(Comcast) has always had a focus on volunteer work and making sure we’re helping folks out in the community,” said Chace. “This event is fairly unique. I think the partnership with the Sportsman Channel utilizing underutilized meats to help the community is something people don’t see a lot of of. It’s a great opportunity and they’ve been a great partner.”