SMITHFIELD, Va., Jan. 17, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yesterday, Smithfield Foods, Inc. joined forces with Farm Fresh to donate nearly 120,000 pounds of protein, benefiting thousands facing food insecurity throughout Virginia. The donation launched the 2018 Helping Hungry Homes® tour, Smithfield's company-wide initiative focused on alleviating hunger and helping Americans become more food secure. In celebration of the program's 10-year anniversary, a kickoff donation event was held at the company's headquarters in Smithfield, Virginia.
"At Smithfield, we're passionate about feeding people and helping communities in need," said Kenneth M. Sullivan, president and chief executive officer for Smithfield Foods. "We are committed to improving food security and ending hunger by donating high-quality, nutritious food and providing financial support to hunger-relief organizations, and we're thrilled to begin the 10th year of our Helping Hungry Homes initiative in Virginia, the community we call home."
At the event, Smithfield and Farm Fresh presented the donation, equivalent to more than 475,000 servings of protein, a staple of a well-balanced meal, to the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, FeedMore, and the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank.
"Smithfield is a longtime ally in the fight against hunger," said Micky Nye, regional vice president of operations for Farm Fresh, Shoppers, and Shop 'n Save East. "At Farm Fresh, we're proud to continue our likeminded cause to support our local communities, and we look forward to seeing the significant impact made by the entire Smithfield Family year-round."
Yesterday's event helped to raise awareness of the challenges of food insecurity throughout the state of Virginia and across the country. Speakers discussed the significance of the donation and encouraged others to join the fight against hunger.
"Hunger is a harsh reality that millions face each day, affecting more than 74,000 individuals in the Greater Peninsula area alone," said Karen Joyner, chief executive officer for Virginia Peninsula Foodbank. "Through Smithfield's Helping Hungry Homes® program, and with the help of our 170 member agencies in the area, we are able to support those in need with nutrient-rich protein — a vital resource for our community and food banks nationwide."
Following the event, Smithfield delivered approximately 40,000 pounds of protein to each of the three food banks. The donations will help fight hunger across Virginia, where one in seven individuals are food insecure.
"Our ability to assist those individuals in need throughout the 11 cities and counties that comprise our 4,745 square-mile service area, is largely made possible by caring and capable partners like Smithfield," said Ruth Jones Nichols, Ph.D., chief executive officer for Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore. "Having Smithfield's continuous community support is humbling, inspiring, and encouraging for everyone involved. We provide resources for a network of over 370 partner agencies and programs, including soup kitchens, food pantries, emergency shelters, child nutrition programs and Mobile Pantries. When we start to feel that enormous weight on our shoulders, Smithfield's company-wide strength gives us something to lean on."
Throughout its 2018 Helping Hungry Homes® tour, Smithfield will make large-scale protein donations benefitting more than 40 food banks across the country. Since the program's inception in 2008, Smithfield has provided nearly 100 million servings of protein to hunger-relief organizations through this initiative.
"At FeedMore, we appreciate Smithfield's continuous efforts to give back to the local community and are thrilled to be included in the 2018 Helping Hungry Homes® tour," said Doug Pick, president and chief executive officer for FeedMore. "We're excited to ring in yet another year with Smithfield, whose contributions over the years have allowed us to make significant strides towards eliminating hunger."
For more information about Smithfield Foods' Helping Hungry Homes® initiative 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®, Farmer John®, Kretschmar®, John Morrell®, Cook's®, Gwaltney®, Carando®, Margherita®, Curly's®, Healthy Ones®, Morliny®, Krakus® 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 Farm Fresh
Farm Fresh Food & Pharmacy® was founded in 1957 as a neighborhood grocery store providing world class customer service. From the very beginning, community involvement has been an important part of Farm Fresh. Our name was even chosen from entries submitted by local residents. Today, Farm Fresh is recognized as the premier grocer in the Hampton Roads area. Farm Fresh prides itself on providing its customers with competitively-priced products, clean stores, one-stop shopping services, and a large selection of quality national and regional brands. Farm Fresh currently operates stores in Hampton Roads, Franklin and Richmond, Virginia, and Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
About Virginia Peninsula Foodbank
Since 1986, the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank has been providing hunger relief to the cities of Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg, and the counties of James City, Gloucester, Mathews, Surry and York. With the support of almost 170 member agencies and programs, the organization has provided over 137 million meals in 30 years. The Foodbank is a proud member of Feeding America, the Federation of Virginia Food Banks, and the United Way of the Virginia Peninsula. Our vision is to inspire hope by leading the effort for a hunger free and properly nourished community. For more information, visit www.hrfoodbank.org, Facebook, or Twitter.
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 the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore
The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, a member of Feeding America® and the Federation of Virginia Food Banks, has been providing food for those facing hunger since 1981. To date, we have distributed over 261 million meals throughout our service area, which includes the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Franklin, and Virginia Beach as well as the counties of Southampton, Northampton, Sussex, Isle of Wight, and Accomack. For up-to-date information on the Foodbank, visit www.foodbankonline.org, Facebook, or Twitter.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7d510873-63e8-4fcc-a276-3aed2043958d
Media Contacts:
Dalton Agency for Smithfield
Jana Beasley
(904) 534-8568
jbeasley@daltonagency.com
Farm Fresh Food & Pharmacy®
Michelle Ellis Young
(757) 306-2068
michelle.ellis-young@supervalu.com
Virginia Peninsula Foodbank
Michele Benson
(757) 403-0716
mbenson@hrfoodbank.org
Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore
Todd Emmett
(757) 627-6599
temmett@foodbankonline.org
FeedMore
Suzy Rohler
(804) 437-1384
srohler@feedmore.org