FLORENCE, S.C., Nov. 01, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield’s Helping Hungry Homes campaign partnered with IGA and KJ’s Market this morning to provide more than 25,000 pounds of protein to the Harvest Hope Food Bank. This considerable donation is part of Smithfield’s 300 th Helping Hungry Homes milestone donation tour, during which the company will donate nearly one million servings to eight food banks across the country through the end of the year. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...f39c0f8f61
Representatives from Smithfield, IGA, and KJ’s Market presented the donation, equivalent to 100,000 servings, to the Harvest Hope Food Bank during an event at which speakers discussed the importance of donations like this in the Florence area, which was recently devastated by a major hurricane, and where 18 percent of people do not know from where their next meal will come.
Throughout November and December, Smithfield will travel from coast-to-coast to food banks in Florence, S.C., Charleston, S.C., Sacramento, Calif., Hampton, Va., Virginia Beach, Va., Bentonville, Ark., Baltimore, Md. and Tampa, Fla. Smithfield will continue its long history of partnering with local retailers with a history of philanthropy to make these donations and raise awareness of hunger in these areas.
“Harvest Hope Food Bank is thrilled to receive this generous donation from Smithfield,” said Denise Holland, CEO of Harvest Hope Food Bank. “With so many in the community still struggling to recover from Hurricane Matthew, both the Pee Dee area and Harvest Hope are in great need of assistance to help feed the hungry. Smithfield’s donation will help us as we continue to build upon the more than half million meals we’ve distributed since the hurricane’s landfall.”
“We truly appreciate Smithfield for partnering with us to give back to the community through this generous donation,” said Bill Harrell, W. Lee Flowers and Company meat department director. “Whenever a disaster strikes the areas where we live and serve, we try to give aid and relief to all those in need. We strive to help people rebuild and restore their lives to normal in as many ways as possible, whether it be through donations of food, money or time.”
“Smithfield is proud to partner with IGA and KJ’s Market during our 300 th milestone tour to present this donation to the Harvest Hope Food Bank,” said Dennis Pittman, senior director of hunger relief for Smithfield Foods. “After the recent hurricane that devastated the area, we started working immediately to provide donations to the food banks that are feeding so many of the families who lost their homes and don’t know from where their next meal will come. We encourage others to get involved and volunteer time, money, or food to help provide recovery assistance.”
As part of its ongoing Helping Hungry Homes program, Smithfield has committed to continue its fight against hunger by making more than 40 large-scale protein donations across the United States in 2016. Throughout the year, the company is donating more than six million servings of protein to food banks nationwide to help families and individuals suffering from hunger. To date, the program has provided more than 43 million servings of protein to food banks across America.
About Smithfield A leading provider of high-quality pork products, Smithfield was founded in 1936 in Smithfield, Virginia, establishing the town as the “Ham Capital of the World.” From hand-trimmed bacon and slow-smoked holiday hams to marinated tenderloins, Smithfield brings artistry, authenticity and a commitment to heritage, flavor, and handcrafted excellence to everything it produces. With a vast product portfolio including smoked meats, hams, bacon, sausage, ribs, and a wide variety of fresh pork cuts, the company services retail, foodservice, and deli channels across the United States and 30 countries abroad. All of Smithfield’s products meet the highest quality and safety standards in the industry. To learn more about how Flavor Hails from Smithfield, please visit www.Smithfield.com , www.Twitter.com/SmithfieldBrand , and www.Facebook.com/CookingWithSmithfield . Smithfield is a brand of Smithfield Foods.
About Smithfield Foods Smithfield Foods is a $14 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®, John Morrell®, Cook's®, Kretschmar®, Gwaltney®, Curly's®, Margherita®, Carando®, Healthy Ones®, Krakus®, Morliny®, 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 .
About IGA and KJ’s Market (W. Lee Flowers): W. Lee Flowers and Company was founded in 1922 and is based in Scranton, SC. As an IGA Licensed Distribution Center, W. Lee Flowers and Company operates or supplies 80 IGA and independent supermarkets in the Carolinas and Georgia. It ranks as one of the largest South Carolina-headquartered grocery retailers and is the only retailer based in Florence County.
About Harvest Hope Food Bank Harvest Hope Food Bank was founded in 1981 as the result of a shared vision of business leaders and the faith community who set out to provide for the hungry in Columbia. Harvest Hope distributed over 28 million pounds of food last year and feeds approximately 38,000 people a week. Their main offices are located in Columbia, but the organization also has satellite locations in Greenville and Florence.
Media Contacts: Hunter PR for Smithfield Elisabeth Garcia (212) 679-6600 egarcia@hunterpr.com W. Lee Flowers Wil Thomy (843) 389-2731 advertising@wleeflowers.com Harvest Hope Food Bank Jamie Peebles (803) 466-2250 jpeebles@harvesthope.org
