SANTA ROSA, Calif., Oct. 26, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield Foods and its Farmer John and Saag's brands have donated nearly 90,000 pounds of protein to the Redwood Empire Food Bank in California. The donation is part of Smithfield's Helping Hungry Homes® initiative, a program committed to alleviating hunger and helping Americans become more food secure, and will help victims of the ongoing wildfires throughout Northern California.

"Throughout our region, many individuals are suffering from tremendous losses," said Steve Armstrong, director of operations and logistics at the Redwood Empire Food Bank. "This generous donation allows us to better assist our neighbors and their families with support, nourishment and comfort during this devastating time."

As Northern California continues to recover from and fight off dangerous wildfires, many individuals and families in the area are facing limited access to proper nutrition. This Helping Hungry Homes® donation will provide nearly 360,000 servings of protein to the Redwood Empire Food Bank and its partners and member agencies across the region.

"Essential needs are greatly amplified by a disaster of this measure," said Dennis Pittman, senior director of hunger relief for Smithfield Foods. "We have members of the Smithfield family throughout California at facilities in Los Angeles, San Jose, and San Leandro. Our hearts are heavy for our friends and neighbors throughout the state impacted by this disaster. We hope this donation will provide much-needed nutrition to those affected while inspiring others to get involved in relief efforts."

Donations to support the Redwood Empire Food Bank's ongoing hunger-relief work following the devastating fires in Sonoma County and the surrounding region of Northern California can be made online at refb.org. Checks can be mailed to the Redwood Empire Food Bank, 3990 Brickway Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403.

Individuals can also get involved by contributing to relief efforts from responding organizations such as The Salvation Army. Donations to support The Salvation Army's wildfire relief efforts can be made online via the organization's secure site HERE, by phone at 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769) or by mail to The Salvation Army—Western Territory, PO Box 80066, Prescott, AZ 86304-8066. Please designate "Northern California Fires" on all checks. The Salvation Army does not place an administrative fee on disaster donations, with 100 percent of donation amounts used in support of wildfire relief efforts.

Helping Hungry Homes® fights hunger by donating food to disaster relief and community outreach programs, food banks and school nutrition programs across the country. Since 2011, Smithfield Foods has provided more than 80 million servings of protein to hunger-relief organizations coast-to-coast through this initiative. For more information about Helping Hungry Homes®, 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 Redwood Empire Food Bank
The Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB) is the largest hunger-relief organization serving north coastal California from Sonoma County to the Oregon border. Since 1987, the REFB has provided food and nourishment to those facing hunger, currently serving 82,000 children, families and seniors in Sonoma County, while striving to end hunger in our community. The REFB collaborates with local and regional partners to obtain and distribute 15.5 million pounds of food annually, the equivalent of more than 35,000 meals every day. Through more than 200 of our own direct service distributions and partnerships with 166 other hunger-relief organizations, we form a network of over 450 weekly and monthly distribution sites serving low-income residents in Sonoma, Lake, Del Norte, Mendocino and Humboldt counties. Visit www.refb.org or call 707-523-7900 to learn more.