SMITHFIELD, Va., June 10, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield Foods, Inc. is pleased to announce the recipients of the Smithfield Foundation’s inaugural charitable grant program, which was launched in 2018 to continue to bolster the company’s charitable giving efforts. The Smithfield Foundation is a nonprofit organization and philanthropic arm of the company. In addition to unveiling the new grant program, 2018 marked a tremendous year of philanthropic giving, with Smithfield contributing nearly $29 million in cash and in-kind donations to organizations and projects outlined in the company’s recently released 2018 Sustainability Report.

“The introduction of our new grant program enables us to forge meaningful partnerships with organizations we know care deeply for the communities we call home and allows us to make an even greater impact through our charitable giving efforts,” said Keira Lombardo, executive vice president of corporate affairs and compliance for Smithfield Foods and president of the Smithfield Foundation.

Through its charitable grant program, Smithfield has pledged $1 million to organizations including:

• $400,000 to The Global Good Fund in support of veteran entrepreneurs. Smithfield’s donation will sponsor 10 veteran fellows to receive personalized leadership coaching, executive mentorship, and financial capital to help invigorate their leadership growth and expand their positive social impact.
   
• $350,000 to FUSE Studios, a high-quality and results-driven educational program piloted through Northwestern University that aims to transform science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) learning in schools. Smithfield’s donation will bring 20 new FUSE learning studios to schools throughout the Midwest and North Carolina.
   
• $250,000 to NextUp RVA, a Virginia-based afterschool program. Smithfield’s contribution will focus on the program’s popular sport and wellness curriculum track that addresses the health of the whole student, with the goal of helping students adopt healthy habits to continue throughout their lives.

“As a leading global food company, we are especially well-positioned to contribute to hunger relief as part of our philanthropic and community outreach efforts. Education and support for veterans and military families are two other key elements of our giving strategy. We believe that education has the power to dramatically strengthen communities and that we should honor the service and sacrifice of American veterans and their families,” said Lombardo.

In 2018, Smithfield donated $28.8 million in cash and in-kind gifts with notable contributions including:

• 23.9 million servings of protein to food banks and hunger relief organizations nationwide through Helping Hungry Homes®, Smithfield’s signature hunger-relief initiative focused on helping Americans become more food secure;
   
• 11,000 volunteer hours by company employees to charitable causes within their local communities;
   
• $1 million—part of a three-year, $3 million commitment—to innovative educational programs in Isle of Wight County Schools in Smithfield, Virginia, the company’s global headquarters;
   
• $180,000 to Feed More, a Virginia-based hunger relief organization, for a new refrigerated tractor-trailer to improve the organization’s product distribution;
   
• $100,000 to the American Red Cross to support disaster-relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Florence;
   
• $75,000 to United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) to help fund research for life-saving technology; and
   
• $50,000 to support the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank’s Veteran Mobile Pantry program.

“At Smithfield, we firmly believe in our responsibility to be a good neighbor and strengthen the communities where we live and work,” said Stewart Leeth, vice president of regulatory affairs and chief sustainability officer for Smithfield Foods. “Our sustainability goals are bolstered by our charitable giving efforts, amplifying our impact and fulfilling our company’s social purpose.”

To learn more about Smithfield’s charitable grant program, visit www.smithfieldfoundation.com. More information about Smithfield’s industry-leading sustainability efforts may be found in the company’s 2018 Sustainability Report. 

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.

Media Contact:
Smithfield Foods, Inc.
Lisa Martin
lvmartin@smithfield.com
(757) 365-1980

A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9ce51f6c-a0ab-4078-a58e-d2c8314f6b96