SMITHFIELD, Va., July 25, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Smithfield Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Smithfield Foods, Inc., is pleased to announce its partnership with the national anti-hunger organization Share Our Strength and its No Kid Hungry Virginia campaign. The organizations share the common goal of eliminating childhood hunger in Virginia, where nearly one in six kids struggles with hunger. As part of its commitment, Smithfield Foundation has committed $100,000 to the campaign. 

“We are on a mission to connect every kid with the healthy meals they need every day,” said Duke Storen, senior director at Share Our Strength. “The support of Smithfield and partners across the Commonwealth will help us reach the more than 300,000 children affected by hunger in Virginia and make sure they are ready to thrive at home, at school and during the summer.

Through a collaborative public-private initiative, No Kid Hungry Virginia works with First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe and a diverse network of partners to ensure that kids have access to the healthy meals they need where they live, learn and play.

The Smithfield Foundation is supporting the campaign’s goal to decrease childhood hunger in the commonwealth, in particular its focus on increasing accessibility to school-breakfast, summer-meal and afterschool feeding programs. The campaign provides grants and technical assistance to schools, community centers and other nonprofits to help these organizations overcome barriers that lead to hunger, such as limited refrigeration, cafeteria equipment, carts and coolers, and other resources necessary for food delivery. No Kid Hungry Virginia, leveraging its relationships with local communities, will help expand existing programs and increase meal service by more than one million meals by the end of year. 

"Hunger and food insecurity are two of the biggest social problems facing our country today,” said Dennis Treacy, President of the Smithfield Foundation. “As a global leader in the food industry, we feel strongly about our responsibility to help feed all families, particularly those in our own communities. We are proud to join No Kid Hungry Virginia as we work together to improve access to nutritious food for all children across the commonwealth.”

For more information on the No Kid Hungry Virginia program, visit NoKidHungry.org/VA.  

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
kkirkham@smithfield.com