FAYETTEVILLE, N.C., Oct. 20, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield provided support to ongoing disaster relief efforts this week following Hurricane Matthew in North Carolina, where more than 31 local counties have been declared disaster zones with limited access to proper nutrition for thousands of families.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5574b95a-cda1-4bbb-9e63-453364a24caa
Through a donation of $10,000 to Operation BBQ Relief, a non-profit organization that provides hot meals to those in need following a disaster, volunteers prepared and served Smithfield products to thousands of flood victims at a disaster relief event in Fayetteville, N.C. This donation was made as part of the Smithfield Cares Campaign, an initiative in which shoppers are encouraged to nominate someone who embraces compassion, care, and commitment in their community. From October to December, Smithfield will thank nine local heroes each week with a $1,000 Walmart gift card.
Rodney Renner, working with Operation BBQ Relief, said, “This deployment could not have been successful without the participation of Smithfield and corporate America in general. The extensive resources pooled together during this disaster is making the difference in a great many lives. While many people have lost everything in the flooding, it is a great feeling knowing that their lives will not be lost due to lack of a hot nutritious meal.”
Smithfield also donated more than 75,000 pounds of protein to Operation BBQ Relief and Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina, as part of the company’s Helping Hungry Homes program, placing more than 300,000 servings of high-quality, and nutrient-rich protein in the hands of thousands impacted by the significant floods.
Helping Hungry Homes, now in its eighth year, is Smithfield’s coast-to-coast tour to help Americans become more food secure. This year, the program will help fight hunger through more than 40 large-scale protein donations to food banks across the United States totaling more than 5 million servings. To date, Helping Hungry Homes has provided more than 42 million servings of protein to food banks across America.
“Smithfield has more than 11,000 employees living and working in North Carolina, and we know it is necessary for us to support our community to help alleviate the burden during this time of need. We are proud to further the efforts of Operation BBQ Relief and Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina following the floods,” said Dennis Pittman, senior director of hunger relief for Smithfield Foods. “As a global food producer, we understand the importance of a high-quality, nutritious protein and recognize it's a limited resource and greatly needed by thousands of families working to recover from this disaster.”
To learn how you can contribute or volunteer with the Operation BBQ Relief, please visit www.operationbbqrelief.org and Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina, please visit https://actionpathways.ngo/hunger. To nominate your local hero who to embrace compassion, care and commitment, visit www.AllNaturalPork.net.
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®, John Morrell®, Cook's®, Kretschmar®, Gwaltney®, Curly's®, Margherita®, Carando®, Healthy Ones®, Krakus®, Morliny®, and Berlinki®. 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 BBQ Relief
In 2011, Operation BBQ Relief was founded in response to a need for relief efforts in tornado-stricken Joplin, Missouri. Volunteers of competition BBQ teams from eight states answered the need to help feed displaced families, Police, Fire, National Guard and emergency personnel. Operation BBQ Relief has grown to become a Disaster Response Team made up of over 4000 volunteers and competition BBQ teams. The organization provides hot BBQ meals along with compassion, hope and friendship to those whose lives have been affected by disasters across the United States. Expertise in cooking large scale meals and an organizational structure that allows teams to quickly mobilize means that deployment teams can move into any area where nature disrupts. Since May of 2011, Operation BBQ Relief has served over 1,000,000 meals in 19 states. The deployment to North Carolina marked our 34th disaster served. Our funding comes from fundraisers, online merchandise sales and donations.
About Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina
The Second Harvest Food Bank distributed food to 196,700 individuals during 2015 through 260 member agencies in 7 counties. SHFB provides special programs for groups at greatest risk of hunger; for example, some 14,200 seniors received meals in addition to the more than 65,500 meals for children in the BackPack Program. SHFB also operates a mobile pantry program delivering food to rural communities where it is most needed. SHFB is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s leading network of food banks to hunger relief in America. Through SHFB and other organizations in its network, Feeding America distributes food to more than 37 million low-income families each year. SHFB is a program of the Action Pathways, Inc. Action Pathways is a private human services agency offering a comprehensive, supportive approach to helping families and individuals achieve and sustain economic security. Established in 1965, AP has become a respected agency among the top-tier of the national network of community action programs whose purpose is to address poverty in America. AP has a direct presence in some 34 counties throughout southeastern North Carolina. AP is the parent organization for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina (SHFB); the Consumer Credit Counseling Services (CCCS); the Comprehensive Housing and Weatherization Programs; Self-Sufficiency Programs (ASPIRE); and Head Start. Action Pathways is accredited by the Council on Accreditation. For more information about Action Pathways programs and services, visit www.actionpathways.ngo or call (910) 485-6131.