Smithfield Foods Donates More Than 165,000 Pounds of Protein to Local Food Banks
Winn-Dixie, B&R Stores, Fareway join Smithfield’s 2018 Helping Hungry Homes® tour
This week, Smithfield Foods, Inc. joined forces with Winn-Dixie, B&R Stores, and Fareway to donate more than 165,000 pounds of protein. Smithfield’s contribution was part of the company’s 2018 Helping Hungry Homes® donation tour. Now in the program’s 10th year, Helping Hungry Homes® is Smithfield’s signature hunger-relief initiative focused on alleviating hunger and helping Americans become more food secure. The donations, equivalent to more than 664,000 servings, will help families fight hunger across northeast Florida, Nebraska, and western Iowa.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida – Daytona Beach, FL
In celebration of the upcoming Daytona race, Smithfield today donated 40,000 pounds of protein to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, with help from Winn-Dixie. Assisting with the donation was Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, along with his team owner, three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart. This considerable donation is part of Smithfield’s Helping Hungry Homes® initiative and provides more than 160,000 servings of protein, a staple of a well-balanced meal, to people in Central Florida, where one in six people faces hunger every day.
Feeding Northeast Florida – Jacksonville, FL
Smithfield joined Winn-Dixie to donate more than 42,000 pounds of protein to Feeding Northeast Florida.
“In Northeast Florida, more than 283,000 people are food insecure – meaning they don’t always know where their next meal will come from. It is estimated that of those, 81,000 are children,” said Feeding Northeast Florida interim CEO Frank Castillo. “This generous donation from Smithfield and Winn-Dixie will allow us to create 35,000 meals for those struggling with hunger locally. Together, we are making great strides toward building a strong and healthy community.”
The significant donation provided by Smithfield and Winn-Dixie will help nearly 281,000 local individuals who face hunger each day.
Food Bank of Lincoln – Lincoln, NE
Smithfield joined B&R Stores—parent company of local retailers, Russ’s Market and Super Saver—to donate more than 42,000 pounds of protein to the Food Bank of Lincoln.
“Smithfield has a great history of helping the Food Bank of Lincoln support kids and families in Southeast Nebraska,” said Scott Young, executive director of the Food Bank of Lincoln. “This donation will be the centerpiece for thousands of meals on thousands of tables in the coming months.”
The significant donation provided by Smithfield and B&R Stores will help more than 60,000 local individuals—including an estimated 19,570 children under the age of 18—who face hunger each day within the Food Bank of Lincoln’s 16-county service area.
Food Bank for the Heartland - Omaha, NE
Smithfield joined Fareway to donate more than 41,000 pounds of protein to Food Bank for the Heartland.
“Organizations and companies like Smithfield and Fareway help greatly to support our vision of eliminating hunger in our community,” said Susan Ogborn, president and CEO of Food Bank for the Heartland. “Protein is an essential item to a well-balanced meal and is notoriously difficult for food banks to acquire. We are grateful for this large-scale donation of nutrient-rich protein, which will go a long way in helping the thousands we serve become more food secure.”
This significant donation provided by Smithfield and Fareway will provide protein to much of the Food Bank for the Heartland’s expansive service area, which includes nearly 220,000 individuals in 77 counties in Nebraska and 16 counties in western Iowa who face hunger each day.
For more information about Smithfield Foods’ Helping Hungry Homes® initiative and a list of upcoming donation events, visit helpinghungryhomes.com.
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 with popular brands including 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.
