Eckrich, Operation Homefront and Niemann Foods Honor Local Military Family

Robbins Family Surprised with One Year of FREE Groceries


LISLE, Ill., May 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, partnered with Niemann Foods and Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable and secure military families, to honor a Rochester, Ill. military family on Tuesday.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/01d40157-2f78-4fde-b008-12ad9acffc54

Eckrich hosted a surprise grocery giveaway inside a County Market store in Springfield, Ill. to honor, thank and support the Robbins family. As the family checked out at the register, they were surprised with a gift of free groceries for one year at County Market, courtesy of Eckrich. 

Chad Robbins served five-and-a-half years in the Marine Corps as an infantryman.  His wife, Melissa, is a peer group leader and is certified through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to be a caregiver to Chad.  The family has four children.

“We are pretty humbled to be honored today,” said Chad Robbins.  “It was a surprise to us and we are very thankful to everyone involved.”

The surprise is part of the ongoing campaign by Eckrich to honor, thank and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront.  The Robbins family is supported by Operation Homefront’s Hearts of Valor® program, a network of people caring for wounded, ill or injured service members. 

Eckrich, a brand of Smithfield Foods, in its fifth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, has donated more than $2 million to the organization since 2012. Now through July 4th, Eckrich is donating 5 cents for every purchase of specially marked products, up to $500,000, to Operation Homefront to assist military families.

“Today’s event was another example of how Eckrich is supporting our military families,” said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. “These families make great sacrifices.  We are proud to partner with Niemann Foods to thank the Robbins family for their service with free groceries for one year.”

For more information about Eckrich, please visit www.eckrich.com

About Eckrich
Founded by Peter Eckrich in 1894, Eckrich has a rich heritage starting from a small meat market in Fort Wayne, Ind. Through it all, Eckrich meats have been recognized for their great taste and supreme quality, craftsmanship, care and pride. For more information, visit www.eckrich.com.

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 Operation Homefront
A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront builds strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.  With more than 3,200 volunteers nationwide, Operation Homefront has provided assistance to tens of thousands of military families since its inception shortly after 9/11. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefront’s expenditures go directly to programs that provide support to our military families. For more information, go to www.OperationHomefront.net.


            
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