Smithfield donates
$100,000 and thousands of pounds of
food to host resource rallies and help fight food
insecurity
SMITHFIELD, Va., Aug. 7, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Smithfield Foods is teaming up with leading
anti-hunger organization Feed the Children this back-to-school
season to provide children and families with wholesome food items,
backpacks, shelf-stable food, household essentials and more in
three communities where Smithfield Foods operates as a local
employer.
Having access to safe and wholesome food is
key to starting the school year off on the right foot.
Together, the organizations are holding three resource rallies,
each serving approximately 400 families, to help take a bite out of
hunger in local communities. The first rally was held in
Crete, Nebraska, on Aug. 6, and future rallies are planned in
Monmouth, Illinois, on
Aug. 13, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on Aug. 26. The rallies are made possible by a
$100,000 donation from Smithfield
Foods.
Smithfield Foods is also donating thousands of pounds of
much-needed protein to the families served at the events, including
products such as Smithfield® bacon, hams, ribs and
loins.
"Having access to safe and wholesome food is key to starting the
school year off on the right foot," said Steve Evans, vice president of community
development for Smithfield Foods. "We're proud to partner with Feed
the Children to ensure that local children and families have the
support they need for success in and out of the classroom."
"Children cannot thrive unless their basic needs are met," said
Travis Arnold, president and CEO of
Feed the Children. "A widespread issue like childhood hunger will
only be solved when enough people work together. Partners like
Smithfield Foods are vital to our mission as we serve communities
across the U.S."
At each of these events, families will receive a 25-pound box of
shelf-stable food including canned vegetables, macaroni and cheese
and cereal. Families will also receive a 15-pound box of household
essentials containing items such as shampoo, laundry detergent,
razors and toothpaste. In addition, children will receive backpacks
that contain a variety of school supplies such as notebooks,
folders, glue sticks, crayons, pens and pencils as well as a
shelf-stable meal kit.
With one in five children in the U.S. experiencing food
insecurity, hunger remains a serious issue in many communities,
especially during summer months and the back-to-school season. With
the cost of supplies steadily increasing, it can be difficult for
many families to send their children to school with the materials
they need to learn and grow in the classroom.
Smithfield also recently
donated $500,000 to fund SUN Bucks in
North Carolina, a newly
established, permanent USDA program that provides food assistance
to children and families during the summer, and $100,000 to two pay-what-you-can cafés in
Missouri and North Carolina.
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.
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.
About Feed the Children
Feed the Children is a leading
nonprofit committed to ending childhood hunger. The organization
believes that no child should go to bed hungry, and so it provides
children and families in the U.S. and around the world with the
food and essentials kids need to grow and thrive.
Through its programs and partnerships, the organization feeds
children today while helping their families and communities build
resilient futures. In addition to food, Feed the Children
distributes household and personal care items across the United States to help parents and
caregivers maintain stable, food-secure households.
Internationally, it expands access to nutritious meals, safe water,
improved hygiene, and training in sustainable living. As
responsible stewards of its resources, Feed the Children is driven
to pursue innovative, holistic, and child-focused solutions to the
complex challenges of hunger, food insecurity, and poverty.
For children everywhere, the organization believes that having
enough to eat is a fundamental right. Learn how you can help create
a world without childhood hunger at feedthechildren.org.
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SOURCE Smithfield Foods, Inc.