RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 08, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Smithfield Foods' Helping Hungry Homes® initiative, a program focused on alleviating hunger and helping Americans become more food secure, joined forces with Wegmans Food Markets to donate nearly 40,000 pounds of protein and 9,000 pounds of non-perishable food items to central Virginia's FeedMore. The donation, equivalent to nearly 160,000 servings, will help those fighting hunger across 34 cities and counties in central Virginia, where one in seven individuals are food insecure.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/db12f302-cea4-4a23-b527-f94ffce10cb0

"We are so appreciative for Smithfield's continued support to strengthen our stance against hunger," said Tim McDermott, chief development officer at FeedMore. "This plentiful donation provides wholesome helpings of protein and much-needed relief to the many families and individuals that FeedMore serves."

Smithfield and Wegmans representatives presented the donation to FeedMore this morning at an event that raised awareness of hunger's impact in the local community. Members from all three organizations discussed the significance of protein donations in helping the nearly 200,000 individuals, including one in six children, who face hunger each day in central Virginia.

"At Wegmans, we're committed to making a difference in every community we serve, with a strong focus on providing food for people at risk with hunger," said Wegmans Midlothian service manager Laurie Shadders. "We are so pleased for this opportunity to partner with Smithfield Foods and to make this donation of much needed protein and non-perishable food to FeedMore."

Smithfield's donation to FeedMore was a part of the Helping Hungry Homes® 2017 nationwide donation tour. Throughout the annual tour, Smithfield will provide large-scale protein donations to nearly 60 food banks across the country. This donation adds to the more than 65 million servings of protein donated since 2011.

"We are proud to work with Wegmans to provide FeedMore with this donation through our Helping Hungry Homes program," said Dennis Pittman, senior director of hunger relief for Smithfield Foods. "As a global food company, we value our responsibility to help end hunger — especially here in our home state of Virginia."

Following today's event, Helping Hungry Homes® will visit Des Moines, IA, Tuesday, Sept. 12. 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 FeedMore 
FeedMore is Central Virginia's core hunger-relief organization dedicated to providing neighbors in need with healthy meals and hope for a better tomorrow. With a service area that stretches across 34 cities and counties, FeedMore helps the nearly 200,000 children, families and seniors in Central Virginia who struggle with hunger. Working to efficiently and effectively fight hunger, FeedMore's multi-tiered approach, comprehensive programs and network of more than 300 partner agencies are dedicated to providing neighbors who face hunger with one of the most basic necessities: nourishment. For additional information, please visit FeedMore.org, find us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

About Wegmans Food Markets
Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is a 93-store supermarket chain with stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts. The family-owned company, recognized as an industry leader and innovator, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016. Wegmans has been named one of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For' by FORTUNE magazine for 20 consecutive years, ranking #2 in 2017.

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