The California Kindness Grant Will Help Fund Additional CASA Volunteers to Support Local Youth in Foster Care

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday, Farmer John recognized the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in Sacramento for its positive impact in Northern California with a check for $25,000. The endowment is part of Farmer John's California Kindness Project – a grant program launched earlier this year, designed to support committed California nonprofits that are making an impact in their local communities. CASA Sacramento was amongst the top selected charities to receive a donation in recognition of their tireless commitment to children in the foster care system.

With nearly 60,000 of California's children in foster care and an overburdened social services system, the grant will help fund additional CASA volunteers – Court Appointed Special Advocates appointed by a judge to advocate for the best interests of a child. To show its support, Farmer John stopped by the CASA Sacramento Volunteer Appreciation event at the Clunie Community Center in McKinley Park to present the $25,000 check and say thank you firsthand for the organization's life-changing work. Guests celebrated alongside CASA volunteers with delicious catered food and a raffle.

Launched in summer 2022, the California Kindness Project serves as an extension of Farmer John's California Commitment Tour – an initiative to feed, celebrate and serve residents across the state. Farmer John invited charities and organizations in California to apply for one of the California Kindness grants that support organizations on their mission of improving the lives of local citizens. After receiving more than 120 applications from charities and organizations in the Golden State, 10 organizations were carefully selected to receive grants ranging from $3,000 to $25,000, providing a total of $100,000 in financial support.

"We're honored to celebrate alongside CASA and shine a light on the selfless work they have done and continue to do for the youth of Sacramento," said Lauren Connelly, brand manager for Farmer John at Smithfield Foods. "Through our California Kindness grant, we are honored to support the tireless volunteer advocates at CASA Sacramento in their mission to aid youth in foster care who have been waiting for a friend, mentor and voice in court."

"The CASA Sacramento family is thankful to have been selected as a grant recipient of the Farmer John California Kindness Project," said Carol Noreen, executive director for CASA Sacramento. "We want to extend a special 'thank you' to our dedicated volunteers for their endless support and advocacy for the young voices of Sacramento. Thanks to their hard work and compassion, we're able to continue spreading kindness to our community and work towards providing children in our city with safe and permanent homes."

For more information, please visit CAKindnessProject.com, follow Farmer John on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and visit www.farmerjohn.com. Farmer John is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Farmer John

Serving Californians since 1931, Farmer John has pioneered a revolution in the supply of flavorful meats. The journey began with Irish-American brothers Francis and Bernard Clougherty curing and selling pork bellies and smoked hams to local grocery stores and continues today with staples like breakfast sausage and hot dogs. This longstanding Southern California brand remains committed to crafting the highest quality meats full of freshness and flavor. For more information on our products and recipe inspiration, please visit www.farmerjohn.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Farmer John is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Smithfield Foods, Inc.

Headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia, since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. With more than 60,000 jobs globally, we are dedicated to producing "Good food. Responsibly.^®" and serve as one of the world's leading vertically integrated protein companies. We have pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including our industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in our U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30% across our entire U.S. value chain by 2030. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to our communities. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield^®, Eckrich^® and Nathan's Famous^®, among many others. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. 

About CASA Sacramento

CASA Sacramento works to ensure consistency and support of children in the foster care system through the use of volunteer advocates advancing the best interests of each child. CASA Volunteers are Court Appointed Special Advocates for children – trained community volunteers appointed by a judge as Officers of the court to speak up for children in juvenile court, and to help to humanize the often frightening and confusing child welfare and legal systems for these children. For more information on how you could support CASA Sacramento, please visit www.sacramentocasa.org.

SOURCE Smithfield Foods, Inc.