MIAMI, Oct. 04, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield Foods' Helping Hungry Homes® initiative, a program focused on alleviating hunger and helping Americans become more food secure, joined forces with Publix to donate more than 38,000 pounds of protein to Feeding South Florida®. The donation will benefit the 710,370 individuals fighting hunger in South Florida — a battle recently amplified following Hurricane Irma.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d3780d53-28c3-492b-8193-51f94f77b33a

"We're incredibly grateful to Smithfield for this considerable contribution, which will go a long way in helping families across our region," said Paco Vélez, president and CEO of Feeding South Florida®. "We're at a critical time in South Florida's recovery, and hunger-relief efforts are essential, especially protein items when typically non-perishables are the staple."

This donation is part of Smithfield's hunger-relief initiative, Helping Hungry Homes®, which provides large-scale protein donations to food banks across the country. This year, Smithfield has donated protein to nearly 60 local food banks as well as response efforts assisting those impacted by both Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma.

"At Publix, we're passionate about the neighborhoods we serve and we are proud to partner with Smithfield to support South Florida residents' recovery," said Nicole Krauss, media and community relations manager of Publix Miami division. "Like Smithfield, Publix strives to be a company that communities can count on and right now, our neighbors need our support."

Since the program's inception, Helping Hungry Homes® has donated nearly 80 million servings of protein. These donations include a mixture of fresh and packaged protein from Smithfield's entire family of brands.

"As a global food company, Smithfield takes pride in its role and responsibility to provide relief to those fighting hunger," said Dennis Pittman, senior director of hunger relief for Smithfield Foods. "We're honored to deliver on this promise, in partnership with Publix, to provide this much-needed resource to our friends in South Florida."

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 Feeding South Florida®
Feeding South Florida® is a member of the Feeding America® network of food banks and the leading domestic hunger-relief organization serving Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties. Our mission is to end hunger in South Florida by providing immediate access to nutritious food, leading hunger and poverty advocacy efforts, and transforming lives through innovative programming and education. Feeding South Florida rescues 46 million pounds of food annually, serving 710,370 individuals in need of food assistance — 248,080 of whom are children and 120,000 are older adults. Feeding South Florida is the largest and most efficient food bank in each county it serves, providing for 25 percent of the state's food insecure population, through a local network of nearly 400 nonprofit partner agencies and direct service programs. For more information, visit www.feedingsouthflorida.org or call 954.518.1818.

About Publix
Publix is privately owned and operated by its 187,500 employees, with 2016 sales of $34 billion. Currently Publix has 1,147 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina. The company has been named one of Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For in America" for 20 consecutive years. In addition, Publix's dedication to superior quality and customer service is recognized among the top in the grocery business. For more information, visit the company's website, corporate.publix.com.

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