ATLANTA (AP) — Officials from the Georgia Wildlife Federation say hunters have donated more than 12,000 pounds of deer meat for needy families.

The Georgia Wildlife Federation says the Georgia Hunters for the Hungry Program collected meat from more than 415 deer by the end of deer hunting season in January.

Officials say the meat is processed at state-inspected facilities before being ground into venison and delivered to local food banks.

Georgia Wildlife Federation officials say more than 325,000 pounds of ground venison has been donated to food banks throughout the state since the Georgia Hunters for the Hungry program launched in 1993.