Eckrich®, Operation Homefront, and SHOP ‘n SAVE Join Forces to Honor Local Military Family

LISLE, Ill., June 26, 2017 -- Eckrich^®, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, partnered with SHOP ‘n SAVE and Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit that serves America’s military families, to honor a Mifflin, Pa. military family on Saturday. Eckrich surprised the Elliott family in Latrobe, Pa. to thank the family for their service.

The Elliott Family is Surprised With a Year of Free Groceries at SHOP 'n SAVE, Courtesy of Eckrich

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0f9732c9-e4b6-4509-8f44-bb691e94e2a2

Eckrich hosted a special presentation to celebrate the Elliott family during the SHOP ‘n SAVE Westmoreland County Airshow at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe, Pa. The family was surprised with a gift of free groceries for a year at SHOP ‘n SAVE valued at more than $10,000.

Adam Elliott served in the United States Marine Corps for four years as an artillery cannon crewman, including a deployment to Iraq in 2007. Adam and April have been together for five years and have five children. April serves as Adam’s full-time caregiver and is a member of Operation Homefront's Hearts of Valor^® program, a network of more than 3,000 caregivers of wounded service members which provides annual retreats, support groups, and online communities.

The couple is also starting their own outreach program for service members and their families, REBOOT Combat Recovery Pittsburgh, to help reduce the number of service member suicides.

"This gift from Eckrich is really going to positively impact our family," said Adam Elliott. "It’s reassuring to know there are companies out there who have our backs and support us after we come home."

The surprise is part of the ongoing campaign by Eckrich to honor military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront. Now in its sixth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, Eckrich has donated more than $2.5 million to support the organization‘s mission to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive – not simply struggle to get by - in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.

“Eckrich takes great pride in supporting our military men and women who keep our country safe, and we are grateful for SHOP ‘n SAVE’s partnership in today’s event,” said Michael Paribello, Smithfield Foods senior director of marketing. “It is our honor to recognize the Elliott family and show our support and appreciation for their service and sacrifice.”

For more information about Eckrich, please visit www.eckrich.com or follow Eckrich on Facebook and Twitter. Eckrich is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

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 $15 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 Homefront
Founded in 2002, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive – not simply struggle to get by – in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves America’s military families. For more information, go to www.OperationHomefront.org.

About SHOP ‘n SAVE
There are more than 100 independently owned and operated SHOP ‘n SAVE stores in Western Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Ohio, and West Virginia. SHOP ‘n SAVE offers customers everyday low prices on name brand and private label products. For more information, visit www.shopnsavefood.com.

Contact:
Faye Shroff
Breaking Limits for Eckrich
2137 South Blvd., Suite 200
Charlotte, N.C. 28203
Direct: 704-766-9062
Cell: 704-591-4353
E-Mail: [email protected]