WEST LAWN, Pa., Sept. 29, 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 Weis Markets to donate more than 37,000 pounds of protein to the Greater Berks Food Bank. The donation, equivalent to more than 150,000 servings, will help those fighting hunger across Berks County, where one in six individuals are food insecure.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/da910d86-6df7-433c-82a2-602b9f86cce5

"Protein is an in-demand, yet limited resource for food banks and an essential nutrient needed to support a well-balanced diet," said Peg Bianca, executive director of the Greater Berks Food Bank. "We're thankful to Smithfield and Weis for this large-scale donation, which will help provide hunger relief and wholesome meals to thousands in our community."

Smithfield and Weis representatives presented the donation to the Greater Berks Food Bank 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 90,000 individuals who face hunger each day in Berks County, PA.

"At Weis Markets, we are honored to join Smithfield's cause, as giving back to the communities we serve is a core component of our mission," said Dennis Curtin, director of public relations at Weis Markets. "Today, we are proud to partner with Smithfield and continue our commitment by providing resources to those who rely on the Greater Berks Food Bank for support."

Smithfield's donation to the Greater Berks 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 nearly 60 food banks across the country. This donation adds to the more than 65 million servings of protein donated since 2011.

"We are pleased to offer our assistance to the Greater Berks Food Bank and the thousands of individuals it serves in the area," said Dennis Pittman, senior director of hunger relief for Smithfield Foods. "We hope this donation will make a positive impact on the West Lawn community and encourage others to join our fight by volunteering at their local food bank -- as hunger is a national issue we're working relentlessly to alleviate across the country."

Following today's event, Helping Hungry Homes® will visit Portland OR, Tuesday, Oct. 3. 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 Greater Berks Food Bank
The Greater Berks Food Bank supplies more than 7 million pounds of food annually to more than 300 charitable food programs — food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, afterschool programs and senior programs — that feed the hungry in Berks and Schuylkill counties. Food from the Greater Berks Food Bank nourishes more than 110,000 of our hungry neighbors annually.

About Weis Markets
Founded in 1912, Weis Markets, Inc. (NYSE:WMK), in 1912, is a Mid Atlantic food retailer operating 204 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware and West Virginia. For more information, please visit: WeisMarkets.com or Facebook.com/WeisMarkets.

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