Smithfield Foods Employees Collect More Than 130,000 Pounds of Food to Support Feeding America® During Hunger Action Month®
SMITHFIELD, Va., October 2, 2019 – Smithfield Foods, Inc. is pleased to announce that its employees across the company’s domestic operations collected more than 130,000 pounds of food in support of Hunger Action Month®, the Feeding America® nationwide network of food banks’ awareness campaign, which is designed to inspire people to take action and raise awareness of the fact that 37 million Americans, including more than 11 million children, are food insecure.
“As a food company, we’re extremely passionate about fighting food insecurity in the communities we call home and across the country,” said Jonathan Toms, associate manager of charitable initiatives for Smithfield Foods. “Our company’s social purpose is to alleviate hunger, and we encourage our people to live that every day, through volunteer efforts and donations to local food banks, food pantries, and other community outreach organizations. We’re proud to have our employees go above and beyond to support their neighbors in need, not only during Hunger Action Month®, but with efforts throughout the year.”
For 11 years, Feeding America®, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization with a nationwide network of 200 food banks and 60,000 partner food pantries and meal programs, has dedicated the month of September to re-igniting its commitment to ending hunger.
“We are truly grateful for Smithfield’s continuous support and partnership with the Feeding America® network of food banks as we work together year-round to fight hunger,” said Karen Hanner, vice president of product sourcing for Feeding America®. “Smithfield has helped member food banks feed children and families in communities across the country through food and fund donations as well as generous employee volunteers.”
In addition to employee efforts during Hunger Action Month®, Smithfield works with Feeding America® throughout the year for the company’s signature hunger-relief initiative Helping Hungry Homes®. Since the program’s inception in 2008, Smithfield has donated more than 140 million servings of protein across all 50 U.S. states in alignment with the company’s social purpose to end hunger and alleviate food insecurity throughout the country.
To learn more about Smithfield’s social purpose, visit the company’s 2018 Sustainability Report. For information about Helping Hungry Homes® or for a list of upcoming donation events, please visit smithfieldfoods.com/helpinghungryhomes.
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. Popular brands include 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, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
About Feeding America®
Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, we provide meals to more than 46 million people each year. Feeding America® also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
