PROVIDENCE, R.I., May 15, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Smithfield Foods, Inc. and BJ's Wholesale Club joined forces to donate more than 38,000 pounds of protein to The Rhode Island Community Food Bank. Smithfield's contribution was part of the company's 2018 Helping Hungry Homes® donation tour. Now in the program's 10th year, Helping Hungry Homes® is Smithfield's signature hunger-relief initiative focused on alleviating hunger and helping Americans become more food secure. The donation, equivalent to more than 154,000 servings, will help families fight hunger across Rhode Island.

"At The Rhode Island Community Food Bank, our mission is to improve the quality of life for all Rhode Islanders by advancing solutions to resolve hunger," said Andrew Schiff, CEO of The Rhode Island Community Food Bank. "This large-scale protein donation from Smithfield Foods is greatly appreciated and will help the food-insecure individuals in our community."

Smithfield and BJ's representatives presented the donation to The Rhode Island Community Food Bank at an event at the food bank this morning. Members of all three organizations discussed food insecurity in the local community and the significance of this donation in helping the nearly one in eight individuals who face hunger each day in Rhode Island.

This is the 21st large scale protein donation made by Smithfield to food banks across the country during its 2018 Helping Hungry Homes® tour. Since the program's inception in 2008, Smithfield has provided more than 100 million servings of protein to food banks, disaster relief efforts, and community outreach programs nationwide.

"By partnering with organizations such as The Rhode Island Community Food Bank and BJ's Wholesale Club we will make progress towards eliminating food insecurity for our neighbors in need," said Dennis Pittman, senior director of hunger relief for Smithfield Foods. "We are hopeful that this donation will inspire others to support this cause and their local community."

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 The Rhode Island Community Food Bank
The Rhode Island Community Food Bank distributes food to 57,000 struggling Rhode Islanders each month through a statewide network of 155 member agencies including food pantries, meal sites, shelters, youth programs and senior centers. The Food Bank solicits food donations from the public and from the food industry, including supermarkets, food manufacturers and growers.  To keep up with the high demand for food assistance, the Food Bank also acquires food at low cost from wholesalers.  This year, the Food Bank distributed 9.5 million pounds of food. The Food Bank is a member of Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization.  For more information, visit www.rifoodbank.org.

About BJ's Wholesale Club
Headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, BJ's is the leading operator of membership warehouse clubs in the Eastern United States. The company currently operates 215 clubs and 134 BJ's Gas® locations in 16 states. BJ's provides a one-stop shopping destination filled with top-quality, leading brands, including its exclusive Wellsley Farms® and Berkley Jensen® brands, along with USDA Choice meats, premium produce and delicious organics, many in supermarket sizes. BJ's is also the only major membership warehouse club to accept all manufacturers' coupons.
Visit www.BJs.com, and for exclusive content find us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
BJ's is wholly owned by affiliates of Leonard Green & Partners, CVC Capital Partners and its management team.

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