Smithfield Foods’ Helping Hungry Homes Assists Louisiana Flood Victims

SMITHFIELD, Va., Aug. 26, 2016 -- This week, Smithfield Foods donated 25,000 pounds of protein to help the victims of the recent floods in Baton Rouge. More than 30 local parishes have been declared disaster zones with limited access to proper nutrition for thousands of families. Smithfield Foods products were prepared by Operation BBQ Relief, a nonprofit organization that provides hot meals to those in need following a disaster, and served to thousands of flood victims at a disaster relief event hosted by Sam’s Club at its Denham Springs, Louisiana location.

"We are very fortunate to have generous suppliers like Smithfield who help in times of need like this," said Club Manager Robert Fonte of the Denham Springs Sam's Club. "Thanks to the world champion cookers of Operation BBQ Relief, the 25,000 pounds of pork donated by Smithfield has been transformed into about 100,000 hot meals to flood survivors and emergency responders in the area. For many, this is the first hot meal they've had in days."

The donation is part of Helping Hungry Homes^®, Smithfield’s initiative focused on alleviating hunger across the country and helping Americans become more food secure. By joining forces with Sam’s Club and Operation BBQ Relief, Smithfield placed more than 100,000 servings of high-quality, nutrient-rich protein in the hands of flood victims. Using Smithfield products, Operation BBQ Relief prepared meals over several days for thousands of individuals affected by the historic floods.

“Today, thousands devastated by these unprecedented floods do not know where their next meal is coming from or how they will feed their families,” said Dennis Pittman, senior director of hunger relief for Smithfield Foods. “We’re proud to stand with Sam’s Club and Operation BBQ Relief to provide much-needed nourishment to help our neighbors in need as they work to recover from this disaster.”

This year, Helping Hungry Homes^® will help fight hunger by donating food to food banks, school nutrition programs, disaster relief and community outreach programs. To learn more about Helping Hungry Homes^®, visit smithfieldfoods.com/key-outreach-efforts/helping-hungry-homes.

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.

Contact:
Kathleen Kirkham
Smithfield Foods, Inc.
(757) 365-1965
[email protected]