Hilsman’s Deer Cooler Finds New Way To Feed The Hungry

The owner of one of Georgia’s most recognized deer coolers can add another feather to his cap. Bill Hilsman, who used to have an opening-day barbeque and a big-buck contest that made Hilsman’s Deer Cooler near McDonough a fixture to Piedmont hunters, began a program last year that provided venison and a cash donation to a local food bank.

Bill’s idea was simple — add an extra dollar to his fee for processing deer and use that money to pay for processing deer donated by hunters. Bill’s standard processing fee is $55, and he said he didn’t get any negative comments about the extra $1 charge.

In addition to providing 700 pounds of ground venison, Bill Hilsman’s program of charging $1 extra for every deer processed allowed him to donate $500 to Donna Crumbley, president of Helping In His Name Ministries, also know as The Food Pantry.

“In fact, I had some people who wanted to give more money, just to help with the program,” Bill said.

The result — 700 pounds of ground venison was donated to Helping In His Name Ministries, a local feed-the-hungry program near McDonough also known as The Food Pantry. In addition, Bill was able to donate a check for $500.

“The meat was such a nutritious addition to our food resources, especially at times when we had no other meat to give to clients,” said Donna Crumbley, president of Helping In His Name Ministries. The $500 donation enabled the organization to purchase 3,125 pounds of food from the Atlanta Community Food Bank, she said.