RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 23, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This weekend, Smithfield Foods, Inc., Kroger, and Aric Almirola, NASCAR driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing, joined forces to donate 40,000 pounds of protein to Feed More, central Virginia’s core hunger-relief organization. The donation, equivalent to 160,000 servings of protein, is part of Smithfield’s 2019 Helping Hungry Homes® donation tour, the company’s signature hunger-relief initiative focused on alleviating hunger and helping Americans become more food secure.

“Feed More has had a presence in central Virginia for more than five decades and we are committed to providing our neighbors with a hand up in their times of need,” said Tim McDermott, chief development officer for Feed More. “It’s because of generous partners like Smithfield and Kroger that we are able to carry out our mission and help the nearly 200,000 individuals who don’t know when or from where they will receive their next meal.”

“We’re pleased to team up with Smithfield for this donation which aligns so well with Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste social impact plan,” said Allison McGee, corporate affairs manager for Kroger. “We have made a commitment to ending hunger in our communities and eliminating waste across our company by 2025, but we can’t do this work on our own. Our partnership with Smithfield and Feed More truly makes a difference to end hunger and promote greater food security here in the local community.”

Aric Almirola and representatives from Smithfield and Kroger presented the donation at the Richmond Raceway ahead of the Federated Auto Parts 400. Held during September’s Hunger Action Month, a month where people from across America stand together with Feeding America and the nationwide network of food banks to fight hunger, the event helped to raise awareness of food insecurity in the local community.

“During the excitement of race weekend, it’s always very humbling to partner with Smithfield for their Helping Hungry Homes® initiative,” said Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing. “I encourage all NASCAR fans to get involved in the fight against hunger. As a community, we can come together to raise awareness and make a difference.”

This is the 43rd 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 140 million servings of protein to food banks, disaster-relief efforts, and community outreach programs nationwide.

“As a global food company, Smithfield’s social purpose is to end hunger and we are committed to working with like-minded partners like Kroger to make that a reality,” said Jonathan Toms, associate manager of charitable initiatives for Smithfield Foods. “As a Virginia-based company, the Richmond Raceway is our home track and we are thrilled to make this donation to support our neighbors in need.”

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. Popular brands include 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 Feed More
Feed More collects, prepares and distributes food to neighbors in need throughout Central Virginia. With a service area that stretches across 34 counties and cities, Feed More’s comprehensive programs and network of nearly 300 agencies helps ensure our communities have access to healthy meals year round. Feed More is a proud member of Feeding America and Meals on Wheels America. For additional information, please visit FeedMore.org, find us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

About Kroger’s Mid-Atlantic Division
The Mid-Atlantic Division operates more than 100 stores in Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio. Based in Roanoke, Va., the Mid-Atlantic Division employs about 17,000 associates. We are dedicated to eliminating hunger in the communities we serve through our partnerships with nine Feeding America food banks and numerous local organizations. Our Zero Hunger | Zero Waste efforts are aimed at ending hunger in Kroger communities and eliminating waste in our stores by 2025. We also support breast cancer research, the military and their families and more than 4,000 nonprofit organizations in our communities. Kroger Mid-Atlantic donated $5.5 million to charity last year and 3,295,485 pounds of food to our food bank partners.

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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0da3385f-8848-4f81-bab4-9dff075d7c66