TAMPA, Fla., Dec. 09, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield's Helping Hungry Homes campaign partnered with Winn-Dixie this morning to provide more than 200,000 servings of protein to the Feeding Tampa Bay food bank just in time for the holiday season. This considerable donation is part of Smithfield's 300th Helping Hungry Homes donation milestone tour, during which the company is donating more than one million servings to 20 food banks across the country through the end of the year. These donations are in addition to the 42 large-scale protein donations Smithfield has made across the United States in 2016.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9078e23a-a3a1-42c6-b4b4-71113e075646

Representatives from Smithfield and Winn-Dixie presented the donation of 50,000 pounds of protein, equivalent to 200,000 servings, to the food bank during an event at which speakers discussed the importance of donations like this in West Central Florida, where 60 percent of the population is eligible for food stamps.

Throughout the months of November and December, Smithfield has traveled from coast-to-coast to food banks in Florence, S.C., Charleston, S.C., Sacramento, Calif., Kansas City, Kan., Hampton, Va., Virginia Beach, Va., Bethel Heights, Ark., Baltimore, Md., Tampa, Fla, and beyond. Smithfield continued its long history of partnering with local retailers with a history of philanthropy to make these donations and raise awareness of hunger in these areas.

"Partners like Smithfield and Winn-Dixie allow Feeding Tampa Bay to provide nutritious food that creates healthy lives for the families we serve," said Thomas Mantz, executive director of Feeding Tampa Bay. "In the Tampa Bay region, one in seven adults and one in four children struggle with hunger, many of whom are not able to share a meal with their families. This collaboration gives families across Tampa Bay opportunity and health — two vital components of their success."

"Winn-Dixie is very proud to be a part of Smithfield's Helping Hungry Homes campaign this holiday season," said Keith Newberry, Winn-Dixie district manager.  "We know that many in our community are in need of nutritious food, and we are very happy to support Feeding Tampa Bay through our partnerships with Feeding America and Smithfield to help fight hunger."

"Smithfield is proud to partner with Winn-Dixie for this final stop on our 300th Helping Hungry Homes milestone tour to present this donation to Feeding Tampa Bay," said Dennis Pittman, senior director of hunger relief for Smithfield Foods. "This year, we've traveled from Sacramento, California down to Tampa, Florida to provide more than 80 large-scale protein donations. We encourage others to get involved during this time of giving to donate food, funds, or their time to help their local food bank."

As part of its ongoing Helping Hungry Homes program, Smithfield has committed to donate more than eight million servings of protein to food banks nationwide in 2016 to help families and individuals suffering from hunger. To date, the program has provided more than 48 million servings of protein to food banks across America.

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 Southeastern Grocers
Southeastern Grocers, LLC, parent company and home of BI-LO, Fresco y Más, Harveys and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, is the second-largest supermarket in the Southeast based on store count. The company employs nearly 60,000 associates who serve customers in grocery stores, liquor stores and in-store pharmacies throughout the seven southeastern states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. BI-LO, Fresco y Más, Harveys and Winn-Dixie are well-known and well-respected regional brands with deep heritages, strong neighborhood ties, proud histories of giving back, talented and loyal associates, and strong commitments to providing the best possible quality and value to customers. For more information, visit www.bi-lo.com, www.frescoymas.com, www.harveyssupermarkets.com and www.winndixie.com.

About Feeding Tampa Bay
Founded in 1982, Feeding Tampa Bay is the largest food rescue and distribution organization in the community, serving a food-insecure population of more than 700,000 people in a 10-county area. Feeding Tampa Bay recovers surplus food donations from local growers, manufacturers, supermarkets, and organized community food drives and distributes it to those in need through a partnership network of more than 500 faith-based and other incorporated nonprofit hunger relief organizations. Over the past five years, Feeding Tampa Bay supplied more than 100 million pounds of food, enough to provide more than 3 million meals every month to those who would otherwise go hungry. www.FeedingTampaBay.org.

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