KANSAS CITY, Mo., April 11, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield Foods, Inc. has donated more than 98,000 pounds of protein to Harvesters—The Community Food Network. 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 394,000 servings, will help families fight hunger in northwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas.

“Harvesters’ mission is to feed hungry people today and work to end hunger tomorrow,” said Valerie Nicholson-Watson, president and CEO of Harvesters. “Hunger has no boundaries, whether that be sparsely populated rural counties, suburban communities, or urban centers. Our communities we serve rely on our relationship with caring partners like Smithfield and donations from their Helping Hungry Homes® program, and we are unbelievably thankful for this support.”

This is the 13th large-scale protein donation made by Smithfield to food banks across the country during its 2019 Helping Hungry Homes® donation 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.

“As part of our social purpose, Smithfield is committed to supporting communities across the country, especially those where our employees live and work,” said Jonathan Toms, associate manager of charitable initiatives for Smithfield Foods. “As a food company and major employer in the area, we are honored to provide this donation of much-needed protein and to raise awareness of food insecurity for those close to the heart of Smithfield and our hunger-relief cause.”

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 Harvesters—The Community Food Network
Harvesters is a regional food bank and was Feeding America’s 2011 Food Bank of the Year. Serving a 26-county area of northwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas, Harvesters provides food and related household products to more than 760 not-for-profit agencies including emergency food pantries, community kitchens, shelters and others. Agencies in Harvesters’ network provide food assistance to as many as 141,500 different people each month. Harvesters, which was founded in 1979, is a certified member of Feeding America, a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks, serving all 50 states. For more information, visit www.harvesters.org.

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