WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Smithfield Foods, Inc. and DC Central Kitchen, a nonprofit social enterprise that combats hunger and poverty through job training and job creation, joined together with local culinary experts to bring awareness to the issue of food insecurity across the nation’s capital. Smithfield contributed more than 160,000 servings of protein as part of the company’s 2019 Helping Hungry Homes® donation tour to help serve the nearly one in 10 individuals in need throughout Washington, D.C.

“Every day, we work to combat hunger and poverty in Washington, DC, and we can’t do that critical work alone,” said Mike Curtin Jr., chief executive officer of DC Central Kitchen. “It’s wonderful to have a partner like Smithfield that’s committed to meeting our neighbors’ immediate needs for nutritious food while investing in our job training and job creation efforts, which offer a lasting, sustainable solution to these challenges.”

Representatives from Smithfield joined two of D.C.’s top executive chefs, Marcelle Afram of Bluejacket and Kyoo Eom of The Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco, to volunteer at DC Central Kitchen, preparing meals for local shelters and afterschool programs, and demonstrating cooking methods of Smithfield’s products for students of the organization’s acclaimed Culinary Job Training program. Through its Community Meals venture, DC Central Kitchen prepares nutritious meals for nonprofits, youth programs, and shelters. Through its Culinary Job Training program, the organization provides individuals experiencing barriers to employment opportunities to build meaningful culinary careers through on-the-job training and post-graduate employment services.

“At Smithfield, we are passionate about ending hunger and we’re very excited to, once again, partner with DC Central Kitchen to serve those in need in this community,” said Jonathan Toms, associate manager of charitable initiatives for Smithfield Foods. “We’re proud to stand with like-minded partners that recognize the very real issue of hunger in America, and that work to lay the foundation for economic opportunity for all.” 

As part of the company’s 45th stop on its 2019 Helping Hungry Homes tour, Smithfield presented $100,000 to DC Central Kitchen, marking the company’s third consecutive year as the presenting sponsor of Capital Food Fight. Held on Nov. 6, Capital Food Fight is DC Central Kitchen’s signature fundraising event where attendees will taste offerings from over 80 of DC’s best restaurants while watching four local top chefs compete in a live onstage battle hosted and judged by the biggest names in the culinary world. Chefs Marcelle Afram of Bluejacket and Kyoo Eom of The Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco who participated in the Helping Hungry Homes event are two of this year’s battling chefs at Capital Food Fight.

Since 2008, Smithfield has provided more than 140 million servings of protein to food banks, disaster-relief efforts, and community outreach programs nationwide. For more information about the company’s Helping Hungry Homes initiative and a list of upcoming donation events, visit smithfieldfoods.com/helpinghungryhomes.

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 DC Central Kitchen
DC Central Kitchen (DCCK) is an iconic nonprofit and social enterprise that combats hunger and poverty through job training and job creation. The organization provides hands-on culinary job training for individuals facing high barriers to employment while creating living wage jobs and bringing nutritious, dignified food where it is most needed. DCCK’s social ventures include serving scratch-cooked farm-to-school meals in DC schools, delivering fresh, affordable produce to corner stores in neighborhoods without supermarkets, and operating a fast-casual cafe. DCCK has been featured in national media including The Washington Post, The Atlantic, National Geographic, PBS NewsHour, and more. To learn more, visit dccentralkitchen.org or follow @dccentralkitchen on Instagram.

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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fa504c8d-15c4-46be-8f72-4781d2780930