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Share the Harvest Initiative to Help Needy Families Across Missouri
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), November 15, 2009 - Share the Harvest, a public-private partnership that provides meat to families in need across Missouri, expects to increase its annual collection of venison by more than 75 percent over the next three years, using economic incentives awarded by Gov. Jay Nixon.
In a release, Nixon stated, "As Missourians of all ages head to the woods for opening weekend of firearms deer season, I encourage folks to contribute venison to Share the Harvest," Gov. Nixon said, who planned to hunt in Clark County, Mo., on opening weekend.
"Sharing the harvest is a great way to enjoy a time-honored Missouri tradition while also fulfilling a critical need for fresh, healthy meat in food banks across Missouri. By donating a deer to Share the Harvest, Missourians are literally putting food on the table for families in need during the holiday season."
Administered by the Conservation Federation of Missouri, in partnership with the Missouri Department of Conservation, Share the Harvest encourages hunters to donate their deer to needy Missourians. Share the Harvest reimburses participating meat processors for a portion of the cost of butchering and packaging whole deer donated by Missouri hunters.
To participate, hunters simply take their deer to an approved processing plant and indicate how much venison they wish to contribute, ranging from a few pounds to a whole deer. Local processors store the venison until it is transported to a local distributing agency, such as a food pantry, homeless shelter or feeding center. For each whole deer contributed to Share the Harvest, the Conservation Federation reimburses local processors at a rate established each year.
Because of limited financial resources, the Conservation Federation in 2007 was forced to place a cap on the total number of deer Share the Harvest can accept annually. Once an individual processor's cap has been reached, the processor must turn away potential contributions of deer.
Gov. Nixon announced that the Missouri Department of Economic Development has approved Share the Harvest for about $200,000 in Neighborhood Assistance Program economic incentives. The Neighborhood Assistance Program provides these incentives to support the work of non-profit organizations in endangered or underserved communities.
Conservation Federation officials project that with these additional resources, they will be able to generate sufficient private contributions to expand the number of Share the Harvest processors from 125 last season to 135 over the next three years; boost the number of deer processed from 4,729 to 8,169; and increase the pounds of venison distributed from 265,138 to 457,464.
"Each year, I am amazed by the generosity of Missouri hunters, and I'm thrilled that we'll be able to expand Share the Harvest in the years to come," said Dave Murphy, executive director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri. "Gov. Nixon's support of Share the Harvest means we will be able to accept more deer and deliver that meat to families in need in every corner of the state. Share the Harvest is a win for hunters, the environment, and those in need. The hunting and conservation community thanks Gov. Nixon for his leadership and support."
"Extending a helping hand to Missourians in need and in poverty - in both urban and rural areas - is what the Neighborhood Assistance Program is all about," Gov. Nixon said. "I'm pleased we are able to make these resources available, and I look forward to working with the Conservation Federation and the Missouri Department of Conservation to help Share the Harvest grow even more in the years to come."
The 2009 Missouri firearms deer season opened Saturday, November 14. A complete list of participating meat processors is available on the Missouri state Web site. Missourians can simply point their browsers to www.mo.gov and search for "Share the Harvest."
Interest in Buying Personal Electronics Is Up at Start of Ho-Hum Holiday Shopping Outlook
ST. LOUIS, MO, (PRNewswire-USNewswire), November 15, 2009 - With just a little more than two weeks to go until the traditional Black Friday shopping blitz, consumers are showing more interest in purchasing personal electronics. One quarter (24.9%) of Americans are planning to buy small or personal electronics this month, up five percentage points from October, according to the Consumer Reports Index.
The Consumer Reports Next-30-Day Retail Index shows that planned retail purchasing for November was up slightly to 9.0 from 8.3 for the prior month. Planned purchasing of personal electronics in November has surpassed the near-term high in July '09 (22.1). Major home electronics ticked up slightly to 10.7 percent from 10 percent in October -- its highest level since June.
However, overall the bulk of consumers are reluctant to increase their retail spending habits as we approach the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. Retail purchases in the past 30 days, as well as the overall outlook for the next 30 days remain soft, with little interest in increasing spending in other areas like appliances, yard and garden tools, cars or new homes.
"While relative stability has returned to the Retail Index, it has not been able to demonstrate growth for three straight periods. With the holiday season fast approaching, this has dire implications for expectations this season," said Ed Farrell, a director of the Consumer Reports National Research Center.
Overall the Past 30-Day Retail Index fell slightly to 9.0 from 10.4 in October and was significantly behind September (11.0). The Next 30-Day Retail Index stands at 9.0 relatively unchanged over the past 3-months.
The Consumer Reports Sentiment Index appears to be stabilizing, an improvement that coincides with a decline in personal financial difficulties and the Consumer Reports Trouble Tracker has fallen slightly to 62.1 from 65.5 in October and is down significantly from September's high of 68.7. The Consumer Reports Stress Index stands at 60.5, down slightly from October (62.3) but well below September (65.4). Additionally, the Employment Index is at 49.0 virtually unchanged from October's 48.4 reflective of a market that is still shedding jobs.
"The economy remains in a precarious position where further decline is possible but is slightly less likely. Unless consumers can see concrete improvements in their lives and retail activity picks up, any near-term recovery is improbable," Farrell added.
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St. Louis Library officials have launched a philanthropic campaign, Central Library: 'Central to Your World' to raise funds for the long over due renovation and modernization of the building, designed by architect Cass Gilbert in 1912. >>>
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