Smithfield Foods Inc., in partnership with Price Chopper, has donated more than 41,000 pounds of protein to Harvesters – The Community Food Network.
Smithfield’s contribution was part of the company’s 2019 Helping Hungry Homes donation tour and provided a donation to Harvesters in support of the National Association of Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger food drive, which took place Saturday.
This donation, equivalent to more than 166,000 servings of protein, will help fight summer hunger throughout northeast Kansas and northwest Missouri.
“One in six children in Harvesters’ service area is at risk of hunger,” said Valerie Nicholson-Watson, president and CEO of Harvesters. “This is a critical time of year for families as they struggle to provide additional meals and make ends meet while children are not receiving breakfast and lunch at school. Families turn to our pantries for help, and this donation helps ensure protein will be available to them.”
This is the 24th large-scale protein donation made by Smithfield to food banks across the country during its 2019 Helping Hungry Homes donation tour. Since the program’s inception in 2008, Smithfield has provided more than 130 million servings of protein to food banks, disaster relief efforts, and community outreach programs nationwide.
“Smithfield is proud to make donations of protein to Harvesters throughout the year to support a community so many of our employees call home,” said Jonathan Toms, associate manager of charitable initiatives for Smithfield Foods. “We understand the increased need experienced this time of year and are honored to help kick-off the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive to ensure children in Kansas City have wholesome meals this summer.”
The public is also welcome to contribute to the Stamp Out Hunger food drive by donating nonperishable food items to Harvesters food barrels at any Price Chopper store or donating online at www.harvesters.org through Monday, May 13.