RALEIGH, N.C., June 16, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield's Helping Hungry Homes tour made the 12th stop on its 2016 nationwide hunger-relief tour this morning to donate more than 70,000 pounds of protein to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina (CENC). Food Lion joined Smithfield at the event to make an additional donation of fresh produce and different sources of protein as part of its "Food Lion Feeds" hunger relief initiative.
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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/526b6a8b-a702-4c3b-9cf1-b5444f31c0f0
Representatives from Smithfield and Food Lion presented the donations to the Food Bank of CENC during an event on Thursday, June 16 at the food bank, located at 3808 Tarheel Drive, Raleigh, NC. Speakers discussed the importance of donations like this in the Raleigh area, where 67.9 percent of children receive free or reduced school meals. The donation will also support the food bank's Stop Summer Hunger Campaign, which seeks to provide 3.3 million meals to more than 300,000 children who depend on school-provided lunches throughout the year.
Helping Hungry Homes, now in its eighth year, is Smithfield's coast-to-coast campaign to help Americans become more food secure. This year, the program will help fight hunger through more than 30 large-scale protein donations to food banks across the United States totaling more than 3.5 million servings. To date, Helping Hungry Homes has provided more than 38 million servings of protein to food banks across America.
"We are very thankful to Smithfield Foods for their continued support," said Peter Werbicki, president and CEO of the Food Bank of CENC. "This donation comes at a critical time when nearly 300,000 children are missing out on free or reduced-cost school meals when cafeterias close for the summer. Smithfield truly understands that these families will have a further strain on their food budget during the summer months."
Food Lion launched its Food Lion Feeds initiative in 2014 with a commitment to donate 500 million meals by 2020 because the company believes that no one should have to choose between dinner and rent, or gas and groceries, and today, one in six Americans are struggling with that choice every day.
"As a proud partner of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, Food Lion was pleased to join with Smithfield to make this considerable contribution to the Raleigh community," said Christy Phillips Brown, director of media and community relations for Food Lion. "As we enter the summer months, when students are out of school for the summer, donations such as these are critically important in Raleigh and the surrounding communities. Through our Food Lion Feeds initiative, Food Lion has committed to donate 500 million meals by the year 2020, and through wonderful events such as this, we are well on our way toward meeting that goal."
"Smithfield is proud to partner with Food Lion to provide the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina with this donation through our Helping Hungry Homes program," said Dennis Pittman, Smithfield senior director of corporate communications and public affairs. "As a food company, it's our responsibility to help our neighbors in need. Through this donation, we are proud to provide wholesome protein to families and individuals throughout central and eastern North Carolina."
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®, Cook's®, John Morrell®, Gwaltney®, Kretschmar®, Margherita®, Curly's®, Carando® and Healthy Ones®. 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 Food Lion
Food Lion, based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, has more than 1,100 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and employs more than 65,000 associates. By leveraging its longstanding heritage of low prices and convenient locations, Food Lion is working to own the easiest full shop grocery experience in the Southeast, anchored by a strong commitment to affordability, freshness and the communities it serves. Through Food Lion Feeds, the company has committed to provide 500 million meals to individuals and families in need by the end of 2020. Food Lion is a company of Delhaize America, the U.S. division of Brussels-based Delhaize Group DEG. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com.
About the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina
The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina is a nonprofit organization that has provided food for people at risk of hunger in 34 counties in central and eastern North Carolina for more than 30 years. The Food Bank serves a network of more than 800 partner agencies such as soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, and programs for children and adults through warehouses in Durham, Greenville, New Bern, Raleigh, the Sandhills (Southern Pines), and Wilmington. In fiscal year 2014-2015, the Food Bank distributed more than 57 million pounds of food and non-food essentials through these agencies. Sadly, hunger remains a serious problem in central and eastern North Carolina. In these counties, nearly 650,000 people struggle to access nutritious and adequate amounts of food necessary for an active and healthy life. www.foodbankcenc.org.
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