RALEIGH, N.C., April 02, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield Foods, Inc. has donated more than 123,000 pounds of protein to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina to support their Protein Power Up event. Through this partnership, protein products, a valuable resource for the Food Bank and the clients they serve, are made available to agencies whose supply had not yet recovered following disaster relief efforts in the Food Bank’s service area. This donation, equivalent to more than 493,000 servings, will also provide support for the upcoming summer season as the food bank and surrounding families prepare for a lack of in-school meal opportunities.

“Sadly, food insecurity remains a serious problem in central and eastern North Carolina. Across our service area, more than 600,000 people struggle to access an adequate amount of nutritious food necessary for a healthy life,” said Peter Werbicki, president and CEO of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. “Through generous donations, our mission that ‘No One Goes Hungry in central and eastern North Carolina’ is upheld by partners like Smithfield and its Helping Hungry Homes® program.”

This is the 10th large-scale protein donation made by Smithfield to food banks across the country during its 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. 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 remains committed to uplifting local communities across the country, especially those communities where our employees live and work, in support of our company’s social purpose,” said Jonathan Toms, associate manager of charitable initiatives for Smithfield Foods. “As a food company we take great pride in the opportunity to feed people and as a major employer in the state, North Carolina stays close to the heart of our hunger-relief cause. We are honored to provide this donation of much-needed protein to the food bank and our neighbors in need that they serve.”

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 Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina
The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina is a nonprofit organization that has provided food for people at risk of hunger in 34 counties in central and eastern North Carolina for more than 35 years. The Food Bank serves a network of more than 800 partner agencies such as soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, and programs for children and adults through warehouses in Durham, Greenville, New Bern, Raleigh, the Sandhills (Southern Pines), and Wilmington. In fiscal year 2017-2018, the Food Bank distributed nearly 70 million pounds of food (over half of which was perishable) and non-food essentials through these agencies. Sadly, hunger remains a serious problem in central and eastern North Carolina. In these counties, more than 600,000 people struggle to access nutritious and adequate amounts of food necessary for an active and healthy life. foodbankcenc.org.

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