OKLAHOMA CITY, Feb. 20, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Smithfield Foods, Inc. and WinCo Foods joined forces to donate more than 42,000 pounds of protein to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. Smithfield’s contribution was part of the company’s 2019 Helping Hungry Homes® donation tour. 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 169,000 servings, will help families facing hunger in central and western Oklahoma.

“Oklahoma ranks as the sixth hungriest state in the nation, and while we work hard to provide nutritious food to those we serve, we cannot do it alone,” said Katie Fitzgerald, CEO of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. “Our focus on ‘Fighting Hunger...Feeding Hope’ aligns incredibly well with Smithfield’s social purpose and Helping Hungry Homes® donation program, both aimed at alleviating hunger. Together through this donation, we will impact the ‘one in six’ hunger statistic our neighbors in need of food assistance endure each day.”

Smithfield and WinCo Foods representatives presented the donation to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma at an event at the food bank’s warehouse this morning. Members of each organization discussed food insecurity in the local community and the significance of this donation, which will provide protein throughout the food bank’s service area, reaching food insecure individuals across more than 50 counties.

“At WinCo Foods, we understand the importance of taking care of our communities and, as a completely employee-owned company, we believe in putting people first,” said Noah Fleisher, director of corporate communications of WinCo Foods. “We are honored to again partner with Smithfield on this donation to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma in support of our local community, and in support of their overall tour to help solve hunger nationwide.”

This is the third large-scale protein donation made by Smithfield to food banks across the country during its 2019 Helping Hungry Homes® tour. Since the program’s inception in 2008, Smithfield has provided more than 120 million servings of protein to food banks, disaster relief efforts, and community outreach programs nationwide.

“Smithfield realizes the staggering hunger statistics that many areas in our country face, and we seek to alleviate the issue of food insecurity with a far-reaching and impactful approach,” said Jonathan Toms, associate manager of charitable initiatives for Smithfield Foods. “This realization that hunger knows no bounds is one of the many reasons why we are so passionate about our hunger-relief program, Helping Hungry Homes®, and our role and responsibility as a food company to feed our neighbors in need from coast-to-coast.”

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, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

About Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma
The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma is leading the fight against hunger in 53 counties in central and western Oklahoma and envisions a state where everyone, regardless of circumstance, has access to nutritious food. Founded in 1980, the Regional Food Bank is the state's largest hunger-relief 501(c)(3) nonprofit that distributes food through a network of community-based partner agencies and schools. The majority of people served by the Regional Food Bank are chronically hungry children, seniors living on fixed incomes and hardworking families struggling to make ends meet. The Regional Food Bank is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s network of food banks. To join the fight to end hunger, visit rfbo.org.

About WinCo Foods
WinCo Foods is a family of 124 employee-owned stores, with its own distribution and transportation network. The company can trace its beginnings back to 1967 and a discount warehouse grocery store in Boise, Idaho under the name of Waremart. The company operated stores under the names of Waremart Food Centers and Cub Foods until 1999 when it changed its storefront name and the corporate name to WinCo Foods, which stands for Winning Company. WinCo Foods became employee owned in 1985. WinCo Foods currently has about 17,000 employees and operates throughout Washington, Idaho, Nevada, California, Oregon, Utah, Arizona, Texas and Oklahoma.

Media Contacts:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6428787f-543c-43f6-82d7-33f7ab2f43e1