FAIRFIELD, Ohio – July 13, 2018 – Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Kroger joined forces to donate more than 36,000 pounds of protein to Shared Harvest Foodbank. Smithfield’s contribution, equivalent to more than 144,000 servings, 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.
 
"We are grateful for the support that Smithfield and Kroger have given us,” said Tina Osso, executive director of Shared Harvest Foodbank. "This generous donation exemplifies the commitment of both Kroger and Smithfield to ensuring everyone has access to good healthy food in every community, regardless of circumstance.  The struggle to put food on the table is not something anyone should face in this great land of plenty.”
 
This significant donation from Smithfield and Kroger will provide protein to many individuals and families in Shared Harvest Foodbank’s service area, which includes five counties across Ohio.
 
"At Kroger, we want to show our support for our local communities by partnering with Smithfield to fight hunger and eliminate waste,” said Tim Brown, president of Cincinnati-Dayton division for Kroger. "We are happy to play our role in positively impacting the lives of those living in Ohio.”
 
This is the 37th 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.
 
Additionally, this donation aligns with Kroger’s visionary Zero Hunger | Zero Waste plan, aimed at ending hunger in the communities Kroger calls home. This initiative supports Kroger’s goal to eliminate waste across the company by 2025, and the company’s Purpose to Feed the Human Spirit™.
 
"At Smithfield, we understand millions of Americans face hunger each day,” said Dennis Pittman senior director of hunger relief for Smithfield Foods. "We recognize the role we can play alleviating hunger by joining with local allies, such as Kroger and Shared Harvest Foodbank, to provide wholesome protein to the people of Ohio.”
 
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 Kroger
Every day, the Kroger Family of Companies makes a difference in the lives of eight and a half million customers and 443,000 associates who shop or serve in 2,796 retail food stores under a variety of local banner names in 35 states and the District of Columbia. Kroger and its subsidiaries operate an expanding ClickList offering – a personalized, order online, pick up at the store service – in addition to our 2,255 pharmacies, 784 convenience stores, 319 fine jewelry stores, 220 retail health clinics, 1,445 supermarket fuel centers and 38 food production plants in the United States. Kroger is recognized as one of America’s most generous companies for its support of more than 100 Feeding America food bank partners, breast cancer research and awareness, the military and their families, and more than 145,000 community organizations including schools. A leader in supplier diversity, Kroger is a proud member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable.
 
About Shared Harvest Foodbank
Shared Harvest Foodbank distributes surplus food donations to 90+ charities in 5 Ohio counties, providing meals or groceries to needy families through our network of food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters; distributes food each weekend to 3,400 children who exhibit chronic signs of hunger through our BackPack program; distributes food each month to 1,700 senior citizens living on the economic edge; provides application assistance to displaced workers who need help accessing works supports and distributes USDA commodities to four sister foodbanks serving an additional 26 counties in Ohio. Visit sharedharvest.org for more info.
 
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