LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A state program that pays Nebraska meat processors to prepare donated deer meat is making progress in feeding the hungry.

The Hunters Helping the Hungry program has received 236 deer so far this year, in the midst of hunting seasons. Last year, hunters donated 213 deer.

Processors prepare the meat and distribute it in two-pound bags through a network of regional community groups. The meat ends up in local food pantries to help feed needy families.

The program is funded by donations. Teresa Lombard, who oversees the program for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, says the effort still has money this year to pay for deer processing.

The program got off to a slow start in 2012 because of a disease outbreak that cut into eastern Nebraska’s deer population.