SMITHFIELD, Va., Sept. 05, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Smithfield Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Smithfield Foods, Inc., is pleased to announce a continued partnership with the national anti-hunger organization, Share Our Strength, in support of the No Kid Hungry Virginia campaign. Smithfield and No Kid Hungry share the common goal of eliminating childhood hunger in Virginia, where nearly one in six children struggles with hunger each day. Smithfield committed $150,000 to the 2017 campaign, building on last year's contribution of $100,000.
"Smithfield's continued support will help No Kid Hungry Virginia expand its support for local nutrition programs and end childhood hunger in the Commonwealth," said Dorothy McAuliffe, Chair of the No Kid Hungry Virginia campaign. "Smithfield's generosity will go a long way toward ensuring that all Virginia children have the nutrition they need to thrive in and out of the classroom."
Through this collaborative public-private initiative, Smithfield is supporting No Kid Hungry's goals to decrease childhood hunger in the commonwealth and increase accessibility to school-breakfast, summer-meal and after-school feeding programs. The program provides grants to schools, community centers and other nonprofits to help these organizations overcome barriers to child hunger, such as limited refrigeration, cafeteria equipment, carts and coolers, and other resources necessary for food delivery. No Kid Hungry Virginia, leveraging its relationships with local communities, will help expand existing programs and increase meal service by more than one million meals by the end of the year.
"The unavoidable reality that many children don't know from where or when their next meal will come weighs heavily on us at Smithfield," said Dennis Treacy, president of the Smithfield Foundation. "We are committed to causes that relieve children and families from hunger, including the work of No Kid Hungry and its impact here in our home state."
For more information about No Kid Hungry Virginia, please visit va.nokidhungry.org.
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®, Farmland®, Armour®, Cook's®, John Morrell®, Gwaltney®, Nathan's Famous®, Kretschmar®, Margherita®, Curly's®, Carando® and Healthy Ones®. 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.
Contact:
Kathleen Kirkham
Smithfield Foods, Inc.
(757) 365-1965
kkirkham@smithfield.com