ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., April 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Lowe’s Supermarket joined forces to donate more than more than 41,000 pounds of protein to Roadrunner Food Bank. 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 167,000 servings, will help families fight hunger in New Mexico.

“We are currently facing a time of great need and the support of our partners, like Smithfield, who help in creating solutions to end hunger in New Mexico is critical across our region,” said Mag Strittmatter, president and CEO of Roadrunner Food Bank. “As the largest Food Bank in the state, nutritious protein donations like this one are vital to our operations as we work to meet the needs of the 70,000 individuals we serve weekly. Thanks to Smithfield, Roadrunner will continue on its path to preventing hunger across the state.”

Representatives from Smithfield Foods and Lowe’s Supermarket presented the donation to Roadrunner Food Bank at an event at the food bank this morning. Members of each organization discussed food insecurity in the local community and the significance of this donation that will provide protein throughout the food bank’s service area, which includes more than 30 counties across New Mexico.

“Our philosophy is, and always has been, to take care of the community, our Teammates, and their families,” said Joel Griffith, director of Human Resources for Lowe’s Supermarket. “We are committed to meeting the needs of our customers, especially in regard to food resources. It’s an honor to join Smithfield on this donation to help those across New Mexico.”

This is the 15th 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. Through this donation, Smithfield’s Helping Hungry Homes® program has officially partnered with food banks across all 50 states, supporting the company’s social purpose to provide hunger-relief in communities from coast-to-coast.

“At Smithfield, we value our role and responsibility as a food company to feed people, and we are committed to helping fight hunger from coast-to-coast in support of our social purpose and especially our neighbors in need,” said Jonathan Toms, associate manager of charitable initiatives for Smithfield Foods. “This donation is incredibly important to us, as it marks the major milestone of making donations in all 50 states through our Helping Hungry Homes® program. We hope this donation and our annual tour inspire others to get involved with hunger relief efforts—a cause we care deeply about—in their communities and beyond.”

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 Roadrunner Food Bank
New Mexico is ranked as one of the hungriest and most poverty-stricken states in the nation.  Roadrunner® Food Bank, a Feeding America member, is the largest non-profit dedicated to solving hunger in New Mexico.  The Food Bank serves as a distribution hub and provides food to hundreds of affiliated partners around the state including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and regional food banks.  Roadrunner also distributes food through its own specialized programs helping children, families and seniors at schools, low-income seniors housing sites and senior centers.  Last year, the Food Bank distributed more than 32 million pounds of food, helping 70,000 hungry people every week through a statewide hunger-relief network.  For more information on solving hunger in New Mexico, visit www.rrfb.org, or follow us on social media: Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

About Lowe’s Supermarket
Lowe’s is a family owned and Christian-based supermarket chain that operates under numerous banners throughout the southwest United States.  The Lowe family founded the company on the principle of taking care of the community, their teammates, and their families.  That philosophy has allowed the company to grow from a single “mom-and-pop” style grocery store in 1964 to over 150 stores covering the entire state of New Mexico and Texas, with additional locations in Colorado, Kansas and Arizona.  Lowe’s can be found in many neighborhoods throughout the southwest and our main focus in each of those stores is meeting the needs of our great customers and teammates. It’s a great day at Lowe’s!  

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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3e8bad5d-07ef-438a-9536-34a87dfcecb0