Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner With Your Children™

ORRVILLE, Ohio, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Schedule time on the family calendar to create memorable meals and moments on Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children™. The J.M. Smucker Company is continuing its partnership with The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, to support the 10th Anniversary of Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children™ to be held on September 27th, 2010.

Family Day is a day when parents can look forward to eating good food and sharing great conversations with their children and make family mealtime part of their traditions.  In her book, The Surprising Power of Family Meals, Miriam Weinstein shows how this basic human institution helps nourish and strengthen our families today. Her book cites research that states families who eat together and share in the preparation of family meals become a stronger family unit with smarter, healthier and happier children. Family dinner also promotes better grades and fosters good relationships with parents: behaviors that The J.M. Smucker Company is proud to be a part of.  

"Our company strongly believes in the power of sharing family meals and the tremendous importance that eating as a family can play in our lives," said Maribeth Badertscher, Vice President, Corporate Communications, The J.M. Smucker Company. "Family meals help family members connect with each other, teach children valuable life lessons and establish an important ritual that allows them to grow together."

Successful family meals begin with an idea and a little planning. To help plan a family meal at home for Family Day 2010, parents can also visit www.poweroffamilymeals.com where they'll find:

• Family meal time ideas and tips
• Recipes and menu planning
• Conversation starters
• Information on the importance of family meals
• Resources for Family Day

Family Day is a national movement to bring to light the importance of family dinners and the power of family meals. For more information about Family Day and to pledge to be a part of the movement visit www.CASAFamilyDay.org. Join The J.M. Smucker Company and CASA for the 10th Anniversary of Family Day on Monday, September 27th, 2010.  

About The J.M. Smucker Company

For more than 110 years, The J.M. Smucker Company has been committed to offering consumers quality products that help families create memorable mealtime moments.  Today, Smucker is a leading marketer and manufacturer of fruit spreads, retail packaged coffee, peanut butter, shortening and oils, ice cream toppings, sweetened condensed milk, and health and natural foods beverages in North America. Its family of brands includes Smucker's®, Folgers®, Dunkin' Donuts®, Jif®, Crisco®, Pillsbury®, Eagle Brand®, R.W. Knudsen Family®, Hungry Jack®, White Lily® and Martha White® in the United States, along with Robin Hood®, Five Roses®, Carnation®, Europe's Best® and Bick's® in Canada. The Company remains rooted in the Basic Beliefs of Quality, People, Ethics, Growth and Independence established by its founder and namesake more than a century ago. The Company has appeared on FORTUNE Magazine's list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in the United States 12 times, ranking number one in 2004. For more information about the Company, visit www.smuckers.com.

The J.M. Smucker Company is the owner of all trademarks, except Pillsbury, the Barrelhead logo and the Doughboy character are trademarks of The Pillsbury Company, LLC, used under license; Carnation is a trademark of Societe des Produits Nestle S.A., used under license; and Dunkin' Donuts is a registered trademark of DD IP Holder, LLC, used under license.

About CASA

CASA is the only national organization that brings together under one roof all the professional disciplines needed to study and combat abuse of all substances—alcohol, nicotine, illegal, prescription and performance enhancing drugs—in all sectors of society. Founded in 1992 by former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, Joseph A. Califano, Jr., CASA and its staff of some 60 professionals aim to inform Americans of the economic and social costs of substance abuse and its impact on their lives, find out what works in prevention and treatment of this disease, and remove the stigma of substance abuse and replace shame and despair with hope.

CASA has issued 72 reports and white papers, published three books, conducted demonstration programs focused on children, families and schools in 36 states and Washington, D.C., held 19 conferences, and has been evaluating drug and alcohol treatment and prevention programs to determine what works best for what individuals. The most recent CASA book, How To Raise a Drug Free Kid: The Straight Dope for Parents by Joseph A. Califano, Jr., a practical, user friendly book of advice and information for parents, is widely available in paperback. For more information visit www.casacolumbia.org

*The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University is neither affiliated with, nor sponsored by, the National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association (also known as "CASA") or any of its member organizations with the name of "CASA."

SOURCE The J.M. Smucker Company