SMITHFIELD, Va., Aug. 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Smithfield Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Smithfield Foods, Inc. , has once again donated $50,000 to the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank to support its Veterans Mobile Food Pantry at the VA Medical Center in Hampton, Virginia. This is the second consecutive year of the partnership, following last year’s donation which helped increase the number of meals served to veterans by almost 50 percent.
The Foodbank’s Mobile Pantry Program delivers and distributes fresh, healthy food directly into communities and neighborhoods. With the support of Smithfield, the Mobile Pantry visits the VA Medical Center once a month to serve veterans and their families in the Hampton Roads area. In 2017, this program served more than 2,300 veteran households.
“Throughout the Peninsula, there are thousands of veterans and their families who deal with food insecurity issues each month,” said Karen Joyner, chief executive officer for Virginia Peninsula Foodbank. “Smithfield’s continued support of this program is truly making a difference in the quantity and quality of food we are able to provide for veterans here in the communities we serve.”
As a company committed to veterans’ causes, this program aligns with Smithfield’s responsibility to honor the service and sacrifice of American veterans and their families. It also aligns with Smithfield’s social purpose of hunger relief, combining two focus areas of the company’s charitable giving program to help strengthen a community its employees call home.
“At Smithfield, we believe in supporting those who have served our country,” said Keira Lombardo, senior vice president of corporate affairs for Smithfield Foods and president of the Smithfield Foundation. “We are extremely proud of the impact our partnership with the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank has had over the past year, and we look forward to continuing our support of this valuable service for veterans and their families.”
The Veterans Mobile Food Pantry occurs on the fourth Thursday of every month from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the VA Medical Center in Hampton, Virginia. Any veteran seeking food assistance is welcome to attend and receive nutritious meal components that will lead to a healthier lifestyle. For more information, please contact the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank at (757) 596-7188.
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 , and connect with us on Facebook , Twitter , and LinkedIn .
About Virginia Peninsula Foodbank Since 1986, the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank has been providing hunger relief to the cities of Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg, and the counties of James City, Gloucester, Mathews, Surry, and York. With the support of over 200 member agencies and programs, the organization has provided over 157 million meals. The Foodbank is a proud member of Feeding America, the Federation of Virginia Food Banks, Charity Navigator, and the United Way of the Virginia Peninsula. Our vision is to inspire hope by leading the effort for a hunger free and properly nourished community. For more information, visit us online at our website , on Facebook , and on Twitter .
Media Contacts:
Smithfield Foods, Inc. Diana Souder dsouder@smithfield.com (757) 357-1675
Virginia Peninsula Foodbank Craig Gallaer cgallaer@hrfoodbank.org (757) 596-7188
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...979107af9a
