LISLE, Ill., June 22, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, partnered with Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable and secure military families, to honor a Tacoma, Washington military family on Wednesday.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b2cb8c28-8129-4600-8b8c-b922bf326188
Eckrich hosted a special presentation at the McChord Field Air Force base in Washington to honor, thank and support the Bishop family. The family was surprised with free groceries for one year at the McChord Field Commissary, courtesy of Eckrich.
As part of the event, Eckrich distributed samples of delicious smoked sausage and deli meat and coupons to the service men and women of the McChord Air Force base.
Daric Bishop served in the United States Army as a signal support system specialist for 11 years. He earned eight medals and numerous ribbons and badges for his tours in Iraq and Kuwait. His wife, Michelle, is Daric’s full-time caregiver. The couple has four children.
“We really appreciate this gift from Eckrich,” said Daric Bishop. “We have a big family and we have a service dog, too. It takes a lot of groceries to feed all of us, so this is a big deal. We just want to say ‘thanks.’"
The surprise is part of the ongoing campaign by Eckrich to honor, thank and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront. The Bishop family is supported by Operation Homefront’s Hearts of Valor® program, a network of caregivers for wounded, ill or injured service members. Operation Homefront supports these caregivers through annual retreats, support groups and online communities.
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.
“Eckrich is proud to visit our military bases across the country and support military families,” said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. “This is part of our dedication to thank, support and honor military families. Today, we thank the Bishop family for their service and are proud to present them with one year of free groceries.”
For more information about Eckrich, please visit www.eckrich.com or follow Eckrich on Facebook and Twitter.
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.