INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 14, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield and former Indianapolis football star Reggie Wayne donated more than 50,000 pounds of protein to Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana today, as part of Smithfield's nationwide Helping Hungry Homes tour. Smithfield partnered with Marsh Supermarkets to provide this considerable contribution of more than 200,000 servings of protein.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2bb23cb6-d7b1-4bfa-a243-8fac83f834ae

Wayne, a former Indianapolis wide receiver, joined representatives from Smithfield and Marsh Supermarkets to present the donation to Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, discussing the importance of donations like this in the Indianapolis region where one in eight people struggle with hunger.

Helping Hungry Homes, now in its eighth year, is Smithfield's coast-to-coast program to help Americans become more food secure. This year, as part of an effort to raise awareness about the necessity of providing assistance to individuals and families in need, the program will help fight hunger through more than 40 large-scale protein donations to food banks across the United States totaling more than 5 million servings. To date, Helping Hungry Homes has provided more than 42 million servings of protein to food banks across America.

"After 14 seasons of playing football for Indianapolis, I've come to consider this city my home. That's why I jumped at the chance to give back to the community by partnering with Smithfield's Helping Hungry Homes tour to donate more than 50,000 pounds of protein to Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana," said Reggie Wayne, former Indianapolis wide receiver.

"Marsh is happy to be able to join Smithfield, Reggie Wayne and Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana in fighting hunger," stated David Palmer, SVP sales, marketing and advertising. "Marsh recognizes the large need for hunger relief within the communities we serve and has supported local organizations like Gleaners through cash and food donations for many years."

"We're so grateful for the ongoing support of Smithfield and Marsh," said John Elliott, president and CEO of Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana. "Donations such as this allow us to offer high-quality protein options to hungry Hoosiers in our 21-county service area."

"We are honored to have partners like Reggie Wayne and Marsh who join our Helping Hungry Homes program to fight hunger both locally and nationally," said Dennis Pittman, senior director of hunger relief for Smithfield Foods. "As a food company, we believe it's our responsibility to support our local communities. Through this donation, we are proud to provide wholesome protein to families and individuals in Indianapolis."

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 Marsh Supermarkets
Marsh is an Indiana company that has served customers for 85 years. Marsh has over 5,000 associates and operates approximately 70 Marsh Supermarkets and O'Malia Food Markets in Indiana and Ohio, with 38 Indiana pharmacy locations.

About Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Inc.
On a yearly basis, hundreds of thousands of hungry Hoosiers depend on food and other critical grocery products provided by Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana. Gleaners supplies items to hunger relief agencies and schools throughout 21 counties in central and southeastern Indiana.

Gleaners was founded in 1980 and is a member of Feeding America the nation's food bank network.  Charity Navigator has recognized Gleaners as a 4-Star organization for six consecutive years, the highest rating for charity demonstrating fiscal management and accountability. Since its inception, Gleaners has distributed over 320 million pounds of food and critical grocery products to over 200 hunger relief agencies serving needy Hoosiers. In addition to food distribution to hunger relief agencies, Gleaners serves our most vulnerable populations, seniors and children, through specialty programs such as the BackSacks: Weekend Food for Kids, School-Based Pantry, Mobile Pantry, Summer Meals for Kids, and Senior Hunger Initiative Programs. To learn more, visit www.gleaners.org.

Media Contacts:

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

Marsh Supermarkets
David Palmer
(317) 594-2626
dpalmer@marsh.net

Gleaners Food Bank
Sarah Estell
(317) 376-9149
sestell@gleaners.org