Hormel Foods Gives Back to Battle Hunger, Food Insecurity Throughout the COVID-19 Crisis

By Dean Peters

Hormel Foods continues its role as a leading company committed to helping those in need most fight hunger relief and food insecurity as a result of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.

This past March, when the pandemic began affecting communities throughout the United States, the company quickly announced a pledge of $1 million in cash and product donations to assist global, national and local hunger-relief organizations. Feeding America, Convoy of Hope, Conscious Alliance and food and hunger-relief organizations in the company’s plant communities were among those organizations receiving immediate funding and donations.

“We are a great neighbor in the communities where we live and work and can be counted on to do even more during a time like this,” said Jim Snee, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of Hormel Foods. “That is why we were so proud to make this $1 million pledge to help those who are food insecure during this difficult time.”

The $1 million donation by Hormel Foods was just beginning of its philanthropic efforts to help those affected by the crisis. Since that time the company has continued to give back and fight hunger in multiple ways including:

Daily Lunch Donations

To help restaurants and senior citizens in Austin, Minn., home to the company’s world headquarters and flagship plant, the company has been ordering 300 lunches each weekday purchased from 12 area establishments. The company’s SPAMbassadors™ deliver the meals to seniors throughout the community. In addition, several Hormel Foods plant locations throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin have also ordered daily lunches for their team members to support local restaurants in their communities.

SKIPPY^® P.B. & Jelly minis

In March, the company partnered with Convoy of Hope and Feeding America to donate more than 40,000 cases of SKIPPY^® P. B. and Jelly minis to help with COVID-19 hunger-relief efforts. The organizations swiftly distributed the product to people in need throughout the country.

Virtual Concerts of Hope & Thanks

In April, as a way of thanking its inspired team members, Hormel Foods sponsored not one but two virtual Concerts of Hope & Thanks. The concerts, which featured musical artists such as Chris Kroeze, Natalie Murphy and Nick Hoffman, not only generated great entertainment for Hormel Foods team members, they also helped raise meals for COVID-19 hunger-relief efforts. In total, the company and many of its former executives stepped up to donate 1.2 million meals through Feeding America.

Impact Austin Together

Hormel Foods lent its support to a program called “Impact Austin Together,” which is designed to strengthen businesses near the company’s global headquarters. The initiative encouraged people to purchase gift cards online to use at local small businesses. The program generated income for businesses hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic, and gave small companies and shops without websites and/or electronic gift-card programs the ability to offer them. Hormel Foods purchased $5,000 in gift cards and joined with other community partners to provide a dollar-for-dollar match on the amount of gift cards sold. The matching funds benefited The Salvation Army to assist with food security and emergency housing, utilities and prescription medication costs for community members.

Giving Back in California

MegaMex Foods, a joint venture of Hormel Foods and Herdez Del Fuerte, recently donated cash and products totaling $100,000 to help with COVID-19 relief efforts. Among the beneficiaries is World Central Kitchen (WCK) in support of its community feeding programs. In addition, MegaMex Foods continues to purchase 300 meals per week from area restaurants, which are being donated and distributed to people in need through the Waste Not OC Coalition (a public/private effort aimed at helping to alleviate hunger). MegaMex Foods also worked with I am A Hero LA to deliver over 2,200 taco meals to hospital staff and first responders in the Greater Los Angeles area.

Giving Back in Arkansas

To help ease the effects COVID-19 has had on residents throughout the state of Arkansas, the company’s Skippy Foods plant, located in Little Rock, Ark., donated 40,000 pounds of SKIPPY^® peanut butter to the Arkansas Foodbank, the largest hunger-relief organization in the state. The foodbank serves 33 counties in central and southern Arkansas.

The Hormel Film Festival

Hormel Foods presented six powerful and hope-filled short films during a five-day virtual film festival that ran from May 11 – May 15. Each film profiled uncommon heroes ranging in age from 12 to 101 who demonstrated that it is possible to thrive against incredible odds. As part of the event, Hormel Foods donated $5,000 each to the following organizations: Autism Speaks, National Association of the Deaf, Women’s Venture Fund, Operation Gratitude and No Kid Hungry.

Hormel Foods will continue to provide monetary and product donations to help those impacted by the pandemic. The company has donated more than $50 million in cash and product donations to help others over the last five years. For more information about the company’s charitable giving and corporate responsibility efforts, please visit https://csr.hormelfoods.com/.