Alaskan charities salvage meat from dead moose for families in need

Published: 2006-03-29

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CNS) -- When the phone rings at midnight, Barb Trombley doesn't panic, even though she knows it's probably the state troopers on the line. Trombley, a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Soldotna, Alaska, is one of about 40 representatives of area charities who work in conjunction with the state troopers and Alaska Department of Fish and Game to salvage moose that have been hit by vehicles and killed. "We've got a moose down," the voice on the phone says. "Can you come?" Trombley always says yes. She's normally got 15 minutes to get to the scene of the collision. She places a flashing light on her vehicle and dials up a fellow parishioner who has signed up to salvage the meat. If all goes well, the parishioner arrives with sharp knives and plenty of help, and the job is done in as little as an hour. Or, it might take five hours. When the animal is butchered and the site clean, the parishioner gives Trombley some salvaged meat for the church freezer and keeps the rest. The church then distributes its portion, usually about a quarter of the meat, to families in need.

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