Dallas, Dec. 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For the 16th year in a row, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) National staff and local Dallas LULAC Councils have teamed up with the North Texas Food Bank to create Cena en El Barrio, a unique holiday event that provides local families with food items to help make the holidays just a bit brighter.
“Navidad, Spanish for Christmas, is a time to give to those less fortunate and to display kindness to all,” says Domingo Garcia, LULAC National President. “This Christmas, amid COVID-19, is going to be very special to thousands of families in our community thanks to the generous contribution of Smithfield Foods donating 160,000 servings of protein which LULAC is pleased to share with families across North Texas in need this Christmas season,” he added.
“As a food company, helping to feed our neighbors in need is our social purpose at Smithfield,” said Jonathan Toms, charitable initiatives manager at Smithfield Foods. “We’re thrilled join this meaningful partnership with LULAC, a legacy organization whose dedication to the community is unmatched. This donation of protein will go a long way to help alleviate the hunger so many families face, especially at such an important time of year.”
The ongoing impact of COVID-19 means there are more people in need of food assistance than ever before, making this the largest Cena en El Barrio distribution to date, serving approximately 3,500 families.
“Cena is one of our favorite events of the year because it provides our LULAC Youth Councils with a leadership opportunity to make the holidays a little brighter for local families,” says Garcia. “We are grateful to our partners Smithfield Foods, the North Texas Food Bank and each of the involved LULAC chapters for helping create the biggest Cena en El Barrio event ever,” he adds.
The North Texas Food Bank has seen the need for food assistance as well as their output of food more than double over the last few months. Cena en El Barrio is just one example of how the Food Bank works to provide underserved communities with food resources.
“Seeing the growth of Cena en El Barrio is amazing and humbling,” said Anna Kurian, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications for the North Texas Food Bank. “The LULAC team is dedicated to the community and their efforts help so many people across our region. I have seen firsthand how this program can provide both food and hope to many local neighbors, and I am grateful to LUAC and Smithfield for helping make this event even bigger this year. Thanks to this caring community each household will receive about 70 lbs. of food.”
About the North Texas Food Bank:
The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is a top-ranked nonprofit hunger-relief organization operating a state-of-the-art volunteer and distribution center in Plano, the Perot Family Campus. Last year, the Food Bank worked hard in partnership with member agencies from our Feeding Network to provide access to almost 97 million nutritious meals across a diverse 13- county service area, exceeding our goal by five years to provide access to 92 million annual meals by 2025. But the need for hunger relief is complex and in order to meet the continued need, the NTFB is always working to increase our food distribution efforts and bridge the hunger gap for children, seniors, and families in North Texas. NTFB is a member of Feeding America, a national hunger-relief organization.
About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest Hispanic civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services, and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting the critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit https://lulac.org/
About Smithfield Foods, Inc.
Headquartered in Smithfield, Va. since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. Our 40,000 U.S. and 15,000 European employees are dedicated to producing “Good food. Responsibly.®” and have made us one of the world's leading vertically integrated protein companies. We have pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including many industry firsts, such as our ambitious commitment to cut our carbon impact by 25 percent by 2025. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to our neighbors in need. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield®, Eckrich® and Nathan's Famous®, among many others. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
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