COMSTOCK PARK, Mich., Sept. 27, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield's Helping Hungry Homes tour made the 31st stop on its 2016 nationwide hunger-relief tour this morning to donate more than 25,000 pounds of protein to Feeding America West Michigan. Smithfield partnered with SpartanNash to make the donation, which will provide more than 100,000 servings to families throughout West Michigan, where one in eight people rely on the food bank for proper nutrition.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dce2fc42-038e-4533-b7a2-5356e8813c8e

Representatives from Smithfield and SpartanNash presented the donation during an event on Tuesday, September 27 at Feeding America, located at 864 W. River Center Drive, Comstock Park, Mich. Speakers discussed the importance of donations like these to the food bank, which serves nearly 500,000 individuals annually.

Helping Hungry Homes, now in its eighth year, is Smithfield's coast-to-coast campaign to help Americans become more food secure. This year, the program will help fight hunger through more than 35 large-scale protein donations to food banks across the United States totaling more than 4.5 million servings. To date, Helping Hungry Homes has provided more than 41 million servings of protein to food banks across America.

"Each year Feeding America West Michigan provides food to hundreds of thousands of families in West Michigan and the Upper Peninsula," said Ken Estelle, CEO of Feeding America West Michigan. "This is only possible through the generosity of food donors like Smithfield and SpartanNash. Protein is consistently the most-requested kind of food throughout the national Feeding America network. That's why our relationships with Smithfield and donors like them are so critical to enable us to provide complete nutrition to the families we serve."

"As a leading food distributor and retailer, SpartanNash believes fighting hunger is our corporate responsibility," noted Meredith Gremel, vice president of corporate affairs and communications for SpartanNash and executive director of the SpartanNash Foundation.  "Each year, SpartanNash donates more than 2.5 million pounds of food, and the SpartanNash Foundation grants hundreds of thousands of dollars to food banks and pantries in the communities we serve. We also use our voice to raise awareness and dispel misconceptions about hunger in America.  We are proud to partner with Smithfield and Feeding America to do more good and help provide those in need with essential proteins."

"Smithfield's Helping Hungry Homes program is proud to partner with SpartanNash to provide Feeding America West Michigan with this donation," said Dennis Pittman, senior director of hunger relief for Smithfield Foods. "As a food company, Smithfield has made it a responsibility to feed our neighbors in need. Through this donation, we are proud to provide wholesome protein to families and individuals throughout West Michigan and raise awareness of food insecurity in the area."

About Smithfield
A leading provider of high-quality pork products, Smithfield was founded in 1936 in Smithfield, Virginia, establishing the town as the "Ham Capital of the World." From hand-trimmed bacon and slow-smoked holiday hams to marinated tenderloins, Smithfield brings artistry, authenticity and a commitment to heritage, flavor, and handcrafted excellence to everything it produces. With a vast product portfolio including smoked meats, hams, bacon, sausage, ribs, and a wide variety of fresh pork cuts, the company services retail, foodservice, and deli channels across the United States and 30 countries abroad. All of Smithfield's products meet the highest quality and safety standards in the industry. To learn more about how Flavor Hails from Smithfield, please visit www.Smithfield.com, www.Twitter.com/SmithfieldBrand, and www.Facebook.com/CookingWithSmithfield. Smithfield is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods is a $14 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield®, Eckrich®, Nathan's Famous®, Farmland®, Armour®, John Morrell®, Cook's®, Kretschmar®, Gwaltney®, Curly's®, Margherita®, Carando®, Healthy Ones®, Krakus®, Morliny®, and Berlinki®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

About SpartanNash
SpartanNash (Nasdaq:SPTN) is a Fortune 400 company and the leading food distributor serving U.S. military commissaries and exchanges in the world, in terms of revenue. The Company's core businesses include distributing food to military commissaries and exchanges and independent and corporate-owned retail stores located in 47 states and the District of Columbia, Europe, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Bahrain and Egypt. SpartanNash currently operates 160 supermarkets, primarily under the banners of Family Fare Supermarkets, Family Fresh Markets, D&W Fresh Markets, and SunMart.

About Feeding America West Michigan
Serving local families in need since 1981, Feeding America West Michigan reclaims safe surplus food from farmers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers. That food is distributed through a network of nearly 1,100 food pantries, youth programs, and other hunger-relief agencies in 40 counties from the Indiana border through the Upper Peninsula. Each year, an estimated 492,100 people receive food from Feeding America West Michigan. For more information, visit FeedWM.org.

Media Contacts:

Hunter PR for Smithfield
Elisabeth Garcia
(212) 679-6600
egarcia@hunterpr.com

SpartanNash
Meredith Gremel
(616) 878-2830
meredith.gremel@spartannash.com

Feeding America W. Michigan
Andrew Steiner
(616) 432-6964
andrews@feedwm.org