FAIRFIELD – Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Kroger joined forces to donate more than 35,000 pounds of protein to Shared Harvest Foodbank.
Smithfield’s contribution, equivalent to more than 70,000 servings, was part of the company’s 2018 Helping Hungry Homes donation tour. Now in the program’s 10th year, Helping Hungry Homes is Smithfield’s signature hunger-relief initiative focused on alleviating hunger and helping Americans become more food secure.
“We are grateful for the support that Smithfield and Kroger have given us,” said Tina Osso, executive director of Shared Harvest Foodbank. “This generous donation exemplifies the commitment of both Kroger and Smithfield to ensuring everyone has access to good healthy food in every community, regardless of circumstance. The struggle to put food on the table is not something anyone should face in this great land of plenty.”
This donation from Smithfield and Kroger will provide protein to many individuals and families in Shared Harvest Foodbank’s service area, which includes five counties across Ohio.
“At Kroger, we want to show our support for our local communities by partnering with Smithfield to fight hunger and eliminate waste,” said Rodney McMullen, CEO of Kroger. “We are happy to play our role in positively impacting the lives of those living in Ohio.”
This is the 37th large scale protein donation made by Smithfield to food banks across the country during its 2018 Helping Hungry Homes tour. Since the program’s inception in 2008, Smithfield has provided more than 100 million servings of protein to food banks, disaster relief efforts and community outreach programs nationwide.
Additionally, this donation aligns with Kroger’s visionary Zero Hunger | Zero Waste plan, aimed at ending hunger in the communities Kroger calls home. This initiative supports Kroger’s goal to eliminate waste across the company by 2025, and the company’s Purpose to Feed the Human Spirit.
“At Smithfield, we understand millions of Americans face hunger each day,” said Dennis Pittman senior director of hunger relief for Smithfield Foods. “We recognize the role we can play alleviating hunger by joining with local allies, such as Kroger and Shared Harvest Foodbank, to provide wholesome protein to the people of Ohio.”
For more information about Smithfield Foods’ Helping Hungry Homes initiative and a list of upcoming donation events, visit helpinghungryhomes.com.
Shared Harvest Foodbank distributes surplus food donations to 90-plus charities in Butler, Warren, Preble, Darke and Miami counties, providing meals or groceries to needy families through its network of food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters; distributes food each weekend to 3,400 children who exhibit chronic signs of hunger through its BackPack program; distributes food each month to 1,700 senior citizens living on the economic edge; provides application assistance to displaced workers who need help accessing works supports and distributes USDA commodities to four sister foodbanks serving an additional 26 counties in Ohio. Visit sharedharvest.org for more info.
