Thelma's Kitchen and A Place at the Table each received a $50,000 donation that will expand access to wholesome food

SMITHFIELD, Va., July 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Smithfield Foods donated $100,000 to Thelma's Kitchen, based in Kansas City, Missouri, and A Place at the Table, based in Raleigh, North Carolina, to create affordable access to nutritious food through local pay-what-you-can café models.

"At Smithfield, hunger relief is one of our top priorities and we're committed to doing our part to fight food insecurity in our local communities," said Steve Evans, vice president of community development for Smithfield Foods. "Through the incredible work of Thelma's Kitchen and A Place at the Table, we can help ensure that no one goes hungry while fostering a culture of respect for the neighbors being served."

Thelma's Kitchen was founded by longtime Kansas City resident Thelma Altschul, who was known for feeding neighbors in need with a hot, home-cooked meal. Established more than three decades ago, Thelma's Kitchen is Kansas City's first pay-what-you-can café. The organization recently unveiled a newly renovated facility that will increase the number of meals that can be served daily. 

"We are beyond excited for this next era of Thelma's Kitchen to begin and have sorely missed seeing our neighbors face-to-face every day and growing the connection within our community," said Chef Natasha Bailey, head chef for Thelma's Kitchen. "A huge thank you to Smithfield Foods for helping us kickstart the grand reopening by providing meat for our menu and a $50,000 gift. Generous donations like theirs help us pay it forward for our neighbors who are food insecure."

A Place at the Table is Raleigh's first pay-what-you-can restaurant. Founded by Maggie Kane in 2018, the organization is on a mission to build a sense of community and provide good food for all regardless of means and has served more than 200,000 meals to neighbors facing food insecurity. The organization recently expanded its operations to include a food truck called The Travelin' Table that will increase access to restaurant-quality meals and meet neighbors where they are throughout the greater Raleigh area.

"We are so grateful for the support of Smithfield and so excited to partner with them to launch The Travelin' Table, our pay-what-you-can mission on wheels," said Maggie Kane, founder and executive director for A Place at the Table. "With the help of Smithfield, we get to expand our mission to serve good food and foster community, regardless of means, beyond our downtown Raleigh location."

Smithfield is committed to providing hunger relief in local communities and supports pay-what-you-can food models that will help provide access to affordable and nutritious food. Smithfield recently donated $100,000 to Ripe for Revival, a mobile food retail market that offers fresh, local and healthy food options to neighbors facing food insecurity through pay-what-you-can prices.

Smithfield's hunger relief program, Helping Hungry Homes^®, has provided hundreds of millions of servings of protein all 50 U.S. states, as well as in Poland, Romania and Mexico, since 2008. Smithfield donated nearly 28 million servings of protein to food banks, disaster relief efforts and community outreach programs across the U.S. in 2023 and has pledged to donate 200 million servings of protein by 2025.

For more information about Smithfield's programs to support local communities, please visit smithfieldfoods.com/helping-communities. 

About Smithfield Foods, Inc.
Headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia, since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is a U.S. food company that employs more than 54,000 people in seven countries and partners with thousands of American farmers. As one of the world's leading vertically integrated protein companies, we are dedicated to producing "Good food. Responsibly.^®" to feed a growing world population. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to food banks, disaster relief efforts and community outreach programs in all 50 U.S. states. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield^®, Eckrich^®, Gwaltney^® and Nathan's Famous^®, among many others. For more information, visit  www.smithfieldfoods.com and connect with us on Facebook, X, formerly known as Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Threads. 

Thelma's Kitchen
Thelma's Kitchen is a social venture pay-it-forward community café run by Reconciliation Services. At Thelma's Kitchen, everyone is invited to enjoy nutritious food, cultivate a thriving community, and transform dividing lines into gathering places. Located on Kansas City's historic racial and economic dividing line, Thelma's engages neighbors facing food insecurity and other barriers to well-being and invites them to participate in building up their community. The pay-it-forward model creates an equitable service approach where any donated amount goes to support another neighbor in need. Everyone is asked to care for their neighbors, whether they can share one dollar or fifty. Thelma's Kitchen: Share a meal. Build community. Pay it forward.

A Place at the Table
A Place at the Table is Raleigh's first pay-what-you-can restaurant with a mission to provide community and good food to individuals regardless of their means. A Place at the Table operates on a pay-what-you-can model, where diners have the option to choose their meals from a full menu and pay what they can afford. Diners can pay the suggested amount or more, less than the suggested, volunteer in the restaurant, utilize a place card, which grants them a free meal and can be obtained through partner nonprofits in the community, or are a food insecure family that eats at the café for free.

SOURCE Smithfield Foods, Inc.