Orange County Outdoors Ministry

Efland, North Carolina

2018 OCOM Fundraiser Raffle

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Orange County Outdoors Ministry is excited to announce our 2018 Fundraiser and we are honored to be partnering with Mace Sports, Inc.!

When OCOM was establish in 2015, I wanted to find a way to connect members of the community and to help those in need. I had just completed a grant application for Efland United Methodist Church  and one of the primary goals of the grant was to increase our ability to serve the community through our food ministry programs. While researching the material for this grant, I learned two facts that were hard to accept:
  • First, 20% of the NC population is “food insecure.” Food insecurity is a term used to describe the condition realized when a person simply does not have enough food to meet daily needs.
  • And the statistic that moved me to action: 25% of children in NC are classified as food insecure! That means 1 out of every 4 NC children do not have enough food to meet their needs! 
Every food program that I contacted all had the same program: access to meat. It is hard to acquire and expensive to store and distribute. This gave me the idea to work with food programs in our area and to provide meat through a unique and renewable source: Venison.
In 2015, we created the OCOM Venison Donation Program to help combat hunger in Orange County and surrounding areas. The Venison Donation Program has proven to be popular and very effective. In just over three years, we have donated over 11,000 servings of venison in 14 North Carolina counties!
 
While this growth has been exciting, sustaining operations is always a challenge. The number of deer harvest donations have increased every year, but that means our main cost driver, venison processing costs, has increased too! We have been able to sustain our program through the generosity of donors like Mace Sports, Inc. We can never say “thank you” enough, but with this year’s fundraiser, our donors will have the opportunity to win some awesome prizes!
 
We will be selling $10 Raffle tickets starting 10/10/18 running through 12/20/2018. Winners will be drawn on 12/21/2018! Tickets will be available at Mace Sports or by contacting ocoutdoorsministry@gmail.com.
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Raffle Prizes:
1st Place: SIG SAUER P226 Threaded Barrel 9mm
E26-9-BSS-TB MSRP: $1154
2nd Place: Weatherby Inc. SA-08 Deluxe 12GA 28″
SA08D1228PGM MSRP: $849
3rd Place: Ruger American Rifle 30-06
6901 MSRP: $489
4th Place: $200 Mace Sports, Inc. Gift Card
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FAQ
1. I do not live close enough to buy tickets? No problem! You can call Mace Sports and purchase them over the phone or you can email me at ocoutdoorsministry@gmail.com and I can get you all the tickets you want!
2. What if I win and I cannot come to NC to pick up my prize? Again, no problem! We can ship firearms to any Federal Firearms Licensed dealer. Just find a dealer close to your home and we can take care of the rest!
3. I want to participate but I do not want or need a new firearm. You have a couple of options:
a. You might win the $200 gift card that can be used on non-firearm products in the store (clothing, coolers, archery, etc.). Mace Sports has it all!
b. You can receive store credit for the prize and use it towards other products in the store.

 

 

OCOM Giveaway #2: Boker Cowboy Cross Draw Bone Knife

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OCOM’s first giveaway has been completed and now it is time to move on to our next giveaway!

Anyone that knows me can tell you that I am a certified knife addict, so I am thrilled to be able to giveaway an excellent knife.

I believe that a knife is one of the most useful tools for anyone that spends time in the outdoors!

The winner of OCOM Giveaway #2 will receive a new Boker Cowboy Cross Draw Bone Knife!

This is a big knife in a little package. The jigged bone handle looks great and fits your hand perfectly. The blade steel is 440C stainless steel (good corrosion resistance, edge retention, and very easy to sharpen). Additionally, this knife comes with a Kydex sheath that fits the knife perfectly.

To enter, go to our contact page and subscribe! All previous giveaway entrants are eligible.

By entering, you agree to the following:

  1. You are are at least 18 years old
  2. You will follow all federal, state, and local knife laws and it your responsibility for knowing these laws.

Click here to enter!

ScentBlocker Hat & Face Cover Giveaway Winner! Mike Rosenberger!

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OCOM Giveaway April 2018

 

Congratulations to Mike Rosenberger for being the winner of our first giveaway!

Just by subscribing to OCOM’s email distribution list, Mike has won a free ScentBlocker hat & facemask.

I want to thank everyone who entered. By joining our email list, this gives OCOM the opportunity to easily reach out to our supporters to update everyone about upcoming events and to provide news about our work in the community.

Thank you!

Rob

Staying on Target

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Staying on Target

I prefer to shoot with iron sights but I know I shoot more accurately and with more confidence when I use a scope on my rifle. When hunting, I always want to make sure my shot is as good as it possibly can be, not only to make sure it hits my target but to also make an ethical shot. With that said, I know my limitations and my preferences, so I use a scope 95% of the time when hunting.

Anybody that has experience with a scoped firearm knows that it is not as simple as attaching your scope and then going to hunt. You have to carefully attach your scope and then you have to align the scope on your rifle so the bullet hits where you aim at a certain distance. This process is known as zeroing, or sighting in. Additionally, you have to make sure that you keep your scope sighted in because your scope can lose alignment if you are not careful or if you change certain variables like the type of ammunition you are shooting.

This process of checking your zero (making sure you are still aligned and on target) reminds me of my constant struggle to stay on the right track spiritually. Let’s face it, life can be pretty busy. I am a husband, a father, work full-time at a local hospital, serve as the Treasurer for my church, and manage Orange County Outdoors Ministry. Oh, and I do like to hunt in my “free time.” I know a lot of people have schedules just like mine.

During these busy times, it is so easy to forget to pray or to skip that daily devotional. Sometimes, it is easier to stay in bed and rest on a Sunday instead of heading to church.

Thankfully, I have learned to recognize when I am off track and I have learned the habits that help me to “check my zero and realign my sights.” For one, quiet time in the morning is a big help. Whether that means an early morning workout or an early morning in the deer stand, when I start my day off with quiet thought, it helps me to center myself. Another trick for me is to keep a bible or devotional book at my desk at work. Before I start my workday or during lunch, I will read for 5-10 minutes and that helps me to generate ideas. Lastly, one of the fastest ways for me to get back on track is to move my butt from the couch to the church pew. Being surrounded by the good people in my church is a blessing.

God bless,

Rob

Record Year for OCOM!

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I know it is hard to believe, but I am only a professional hunter in my own mind! My actual profession and full-time work is spent in the world of accounting, finance, and business management. A large part of my work is focused on metrics. A business metric is a quantifiable measure that is used to track and assess the status of a specific business process. Sounds exciting doesn’t it? Well, in this case I believe it is pretty exciting…

I would like to share a key metric that I track for OCOM. Every year, we set a goal for our venison donation program. We track the number of servings donated and we monitor this during the NC deer season and then we look at the totals after the season.

Current Results

I look at these numbers and a lot of thoughts come to mind:

  • Every year, we have been blessed to far exceed the donation goals we have set.
  • We are in the process of donating around 5,800 servings this year and less than three years ago our goal was 600 servings!
  • There is no doubt, our results show that our model and strategy is working!

There is also something very important behind these numbers. For every serving we have donated, there has been a hunter who has been willing to donate their harvest. There has been a landowner willing to grant me access for hunting. There has been someone willing to donate money to pay for professional meat processing. There have been food pantry volunteers who have identified recipients and distributed venison to those in need. All of these results have been possible because of people who are willing to step up and help their neighbor. This work is not done to earn a paycheck. This is all done through the generosity of others. It gives me hope and it reminds me that there is a lot of good around us.

God Bless,

Rob

Our mission

Orange County Outdoors Ministry is a Christ-centered ministry devoted to combating hunger in our community and bringing together outdoors enthusiasts in an environment that fosters spiritual growth and fellowship.

Did you know…

One deer can provide up to 200 servings of high quality, low fat, high protein meat.

Serving our community since 2015

Love God and Love Each Other
Matthew 22:37-39

Contact Us

P.O. Box 121
Efland, NC 27243
919-257-0154
Email

OCOM is a Federal 501c3 Tax Exempt NonProfit Charitable Organization and a North Carolina NonProfit Corporation