Serving in the U.S. military is simultaneously one of the most important and most thankless careers imaginable. Along with the tremendous risks and responsibilities that come with serving in the armed forces, there are difficulties that can come with transitioning back into civilian life. Oftentimes people who have served this country honorably find themselves in need of help themselves.
A new endeavor in Montana is helping to make sure that veterans in Montana have meat in their refrigerator or freezer, at least. Veteran's Meat Locker was created last year by Chris Grudzinski and his wife. Last September, they began taking processed wild game and donating it to struggling veterans and homeless shelters in the state. They made an agreement with a Billings processor, 4th Ave. Meat Market, The processor was willing to donate a portion of the processing for any animal that was brought in and donated to Veteran's Meat Locker. By the end of last year’s hunting season, they had collected over 4,000 pounds of meat to be donated. All total, the organization has donated about 6,000 pounds of meat to more than 400 veterans.