Eckrich Surprises Military Family with One Year of Free Groceries

LISLE, Ill., March 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Joining the armed forces isn't a decision to be taken lightly, and veteran Marine Corps Corporal Chloe Mondesir certainly understood her commitment to her country and family. She bravely served as a Marine for over four years, but on Friday, Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and deli meats, had the opportunity to turn the tables and give back to her.

Eckrich, a brand of Smithfield Foods, partnered with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Aric Almirola to surprise Mondesir with one year of free groceries from Albertsons. Under the impression that she was only meeting Eckrich representatives at Albertsons to receive race tickets to Sunday's event at Auto Club Speedway, imagine the surprise when Almirola arrived in his Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Eckrich Ford with a giant gift card for free groceries for one year, on behalf of Eckrich. In addition, Almirola presented Mondesir with VIP tickets for Sunday's race. 

"I love seeing the look on people's faces when we have the opportunity to give them the ultimate 'thank you,'" said Almirola. "Eckrich goes above and beyond to help military families in ways that families so desperately need. Buying groceries is an expense that never goes away. Free groceries at Albertsons for the next year will hopefully ease Chloe's daily stresses and bring her the comfort that she's earned and deserves."

Mondesir, a native of Dallas, enlisted in the Marine Corps in January 2004 and was based at Camp Geiger, N.C. and in Okinawa, Japan. She served on a combat tour in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. As an ammunition technician, Mondesir maintained inventory and logistics control for all ammunition for her battalion.

After being honorably discharged in 2008, she moved back to Texas and gave birth to a daughter. In 2012, the single-mother moved to Los Angeles to follow her dream of becoming an actress. With help from Operation Homefront, Mondesir was presented a mortgage-free home through their Homes on the Homefront program and enrolled in a local college to study theatre.

"I was not expecting any of this, it caught me by complete surprise," Mondesir said. "One year of free groceries will be such a big help for me and my daughter.  I really can't put into words how much their generosity means to me, but I'll certainly be an Eckrich fan for life!"

The surprise is part of Eckrich's ongoing partnership with Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit which provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors. Over the past three years, Eckrich has donated more than $750,000 to the organization and will surpass $1 million in donations by the end of 2015.

"Giving back to military families is something we take great pride in at Eckrich," said Charles Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. "We recognize the sacrifice that these men, women and their families make and we are so grateful to them. We have incredible partners in Albertsons, Operation Homefront and Aric Almirola who supported us in honoring our military families. We all hope Chloe and her family enjoy their groceries and know that they are all appreciated."

For more information about Eckrich, please visit www.eckrich.com.

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 $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®, Farmland®, Armour®, Cook's®, Gwaltney®, John Morrell®, Kretschmar®, Curly's®, Carando®, Margherita®, and Healthy Ones®. 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 and www.smithfieldcommitments.com.

About Operation Homefront: 
A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront leads more than 2,500 volunteers with nationwide presence who provide emergency and other financial assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors. Operation Homefront has provided assistance to thousands of military families since its inception in 2002. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity watchdog groups, nationally, 93 percent of total donations to Operation Homefront go directly to programs that provide support to our military families. For more information, go to www.OperationHomefront.net.

About Richard Petty Motorsports
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force, STP, Strike Ten Entertainment and Fresh From Florida, and Sam Hornish Jr. drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners Medallion Bank and Twisted Tea. In addition, Dakoda Armstrong wheels the No. 43 WinField Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.

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SOURCE Eckrich

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