Smithfield Foods and its Employees Donate More than 600,000 Pounds of Food During Hunger Action Month

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Oct 09, 2024, 08:30 ET

Donated food items to benefit local food banks across the country

SMITHFIELD, Va., Oct. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Smithfield Foods employees collected more than 32,000 pounds of food and grocery items for the companywide food drive during Feeding America's Hunger Action Month^®, a 28% increase from the previous year. The donated items are equivalent to more than 27,000 meals.

Left to right: Kat Gregory, senior fleet dispatcher, Smithfield Foods; AJ Mcrae, diversity, culture and engagement specialist, Smithfield Foods; Rashaun Chambers, senior fleet dispatcher, Smithfield Foods; and Rachel Alexander, associate customer service specialist, Smithfield Fields, load collected nonperishable items into the Foodbank of Southeast Virginia and the Eastern Shore’s truck.

Left to right: Anel Coellar Sanchez, human resources generalist, Smithfield Foods; Renee Lynch, administrative assistant, Smithfield Foods; and Kara Thex, administrative assistant, Smithfield Foods, pack donated food items into boxes for the Laverne Food Pantry in Laverne, Oklahoma.

In addition to the food items collected by its employees, Smithfield donated more than 600,000 pounds of protein to food banks in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Virginia throughout the month of September. Equivalent to more than 2.4 million servings, these donations will help fight hunger in local communities across the country.

"Smithfield Foods employees rise to the challenge every year during Hunger Action Month," said Jonathan Toms, senior community development manager for Smithfield Foods. "Smithfield is proud to do our part to help alleviate hunger in local communities where our employees live, work and raise their families."

Hunger Action Month is a nationwide effort to raise awareness about hunger in America and inspire action. Smithfield's employee food drive donations will benefit nearby food banks to help address food insecurity across the United States.

"For people facing hunger, donations of protein are valuable during Hunger Action Month and all throughout the year," said Erika Thiem, chief supply chain officer for Feeding America. "The unwavering commitment and generous support from Smithfield and their team members is vital to our mission to help end hunger."

Smithfield supports the Feeding America network of local food banks throughout the year with its signature hunger-relief initiative program, Helping Hungry Homes^®. This program has provided hundreds of millions of servings of protein in all 50 U.S. states since 2008. Smithfield donated 30.2 million servings of protein to food banks, disaster relief efforts and community outreach programs across the U.S. in 2023 and has pledged to donate 200 million servings of protein by 2025.

About Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods is an American food company with a leading position in packaged meats and fresh pork products. With a diverse brand portfolio and strong relationships with U.S. farmers and customers, we responsibly meet demand for quality protein around the world.

About Feeding America
Feeding America is committed to an America where no one is hungry. We support tens of millions of people who experience food insecurity to get the food and resources they say they need to thrive as part of a nationwide network of food banks, statewide food bank associations, food pantries and meal programs. We also invest in innovative solutions to increase equitable access to nutritious food, advocate for legislation that improves food security and work to address factors that impact food security, such as health, cost of living and employment.

We partner with people experiencing food insecurity, policymakers, organizations, and supporters, united with them in a movement to end hunger. Visit FeedingAmerica.org to learn more.

SOURCE Smithfield Foods, Inc.