LOWELL, Ark., June 29, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Smithfield Foods' Helping Hungry Homes® initiative, a program focused on alleviating hunger and helping Americans become more food secure, donated more than 35,000 pounds of protein to Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. The donation, equivalent to more than 140,000 servings, will help those fighting hunger across Northwest Arkansas, where one in four individuals are food insecure.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6c5f5f02-8247-4ad2-bd85-ec12ed3d8608

"Each day, we work diligently as a team to achieve our mission of feeding our neighbors in need, but that is not possible without donations of healthy, nutritious food," said Kent Eikenberry, president and CEO of Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. "Today's donation from Smithfield Foods, which is the second donation this year, better positions us to fulfill our promise to our community and provide thousands of wholesome meals to those struggling with hunger."

Smithfield representatives presented the donation to Northwest Arkansas Food Bank this morning at an event that raised awareness of hunger's impact in the local community. Members from both organizations discussed the significance of protein donations in helping the 120,000 individuals, including one in three children, who face hunger each day in Northwest Arkansas.

"As a global food company, we understand the value of proper nutrition and value our role to provide support to our many communities in need," said Dennis Pittman, senior director of hunger relief for Smithfield Foods. "Northwest Arkansas Food Bank's service area has an extremely high concentration of food-insecure individuals, and that is why we are committed to providing protein to this organization throughout the year."

Smithfield's donation to Northwest Arkansas Food Bank was a part of the Helping Hungry Homes® 2017 nationwide donation tour. Throughout the annual tour, Smithfield will provide large-scale protein donations to more than 50 food banks across the country. This donation adds to the more than 65 million servings of protein donated since 2011.

Following today's event, Helping Hungry Homes® will visit Milwaukee, Wisconsin Tuesday, July 11. For more information about Helping Hungry Homes® and a list of upcoming donation events, visit helpinghungryhomes.com.

About Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods is a $15 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 Northwest Arkansas Food Bank
Northwest Arkansas Food Bank was established in 1988 by a group of concerned citizens who saw the need for hunger assistance in Northwest Arkansas. Over the past 28 years, the Food Bank has grown to serve citizens of Benton, Washington, Madison, and Carroll counties, a commitment still strong today. Each year, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank distributes over 11.5 million pounds of food in Benton, Washington, Madison, and Carroll counties. It is through partnerships with well over 160 member agencies that we are able to reach out to those in need. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is an affiliate of Feeding America.

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