SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Aug. 09, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield Foods, Inc. donated more than 50,000 pounds of protein to Central Illinois Foodbank. Smithfield’s contribution is part of the company’s 2019 Helping Hungry Homes® donation tour, Smithfield’s signature hunger-relief initiative focused on alleviating hunger and helping Americans become more food secure. The donation, equivalent to more than 200,000 servings of protein, will help families fight hunger across the state.
“Central Illinois Foodbank aims to provide food and develop awareness of and creative solutions for food insecurity throughout our 21-county service area,” said Pam Molitoris, executive director for Central Illinois Foodbank. “One in eight people in our area faces hunger, including one in six children. We are grateful to Smithfield for supporting our efforts to alleviate food insecurity in central and southern Illinois.”
This is the 37th large-scale protein donation made by Smithfield to food banks across the country during its 2019 Helping Hungry Homes® tour. Since the program’s inception in 2008, Smithfield has provided more than 130 million servings of protein to food banks, disaster relief efforts, and community outreach programs nationwide.
“At Smithfield, we’re passionate about our social purpose to alleviate hunger from coast-to-coast,” said Jonathan Toms, associate manager of charitable initiatives for Smithfield Foods. “Central Illinois Foodbank services a state we call home, and we are proud to provide families in this region with wholesome meals.”
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, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
About Central Illinois Foodbank
Central Illinois Foodbank, established in 1982, distributes 9 million pounds of food annually to over 160 food pantries, soup kitchens, residential programs and after-school programs in a 21-county region. Central Illinois Foodbank is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization. The mission of the Foodbank is to provide food, and develop awareness of and creative solutions for food insecurity.
Media Contacts:
Dalton Agency for Smithfield Foods
Lauren Homrich
lhomrich@daltonagency.com
(904) 398-5222
Central Illinois Foodbank
Ashley Earnest
aearnest@centralilfoodbank.org
(217) 522-4022