Smithfield Foods Donates $10,000 and Several Tons of Protein to Support North Carolina Tribal Community

Donation will take a bite out of hunger for Lumbee Tribe members and neighbors facing food insecurity

SMITHFIELD, Va., July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Smithfield Foods donated $10,000 and 30,500 pounds of protein to the Lumbee Regional Development Association, Inc. (LRDA), an organization created to provide vital services and resources for the Lumbee Indian communities to improve social and economic conditions in North Carolina.

"Addressing food insecurity in underserved areas is key to advancing vitality in local communities," said Rhonda Campbell, senior community development manager for Smithfield Foods. "We applaud the Lumbee Regional Development Association for its leadership and commitment to providing North Carolina's tribal communities with access to critical services and resources that will benefit many lives in the community."

Donated food items included Smithfield® Power Bites, smoked sausage, lunch meat, bacon, ham, hot dogs, chops, ribs, tenderloins, picnics and ground pork, providing more than 122,000 servings of high-quality, nutritious protein to Lumbee tribe members and neighbors facing food insecurity.

Smithfield's protein donation was delivered to local nonprofits during a food distribution event on June 29 hosted by LRDA during Lumbee Homecoming in Pembroke, North Carolina. Since 1968, Lumbee Homecoming has been one of the most well-attended American Indian events celebrating the tribe's heritage, pride and culture.

"Lumbee Regional Development Association is proud to sponsor the 55^th Lumbee Homecoming. This year, LRDA is hosting this 'Helping Hungry Homes' event in partnership with Smithfield Foods," said Horace Hunt, chairman of LRDA board of directors. "Our shared mission for this event is to bring awareness to and address food insecurity in our local communities. We have invited local churches and nonprofit organizations to register to serve as distribution sites to place this food in local communities, and we are honored to partner with Smithfield to host this event."

Smithfield's hunger relief program, Helping Hungry Homes®, has provided hundreds of millions of servings of protein all 50 U.S. states, as well as in Poland, Romania and Mexico, since 2008. Smithfield donated nearly 28 million servings of protein to food banks, disaster relief efforts and community outreach programs across the U.S. in 2023 and has pledged to donate 200 million servings of protein by 2025.

For more information about Smithfield's programs to support local communities, please visit smithfieldfoods.com/helping-communities. 

About Smithfield Foods, Inc.
Headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia, since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is a U.S. food company that employs more than 54,000 people in seven countries and partners with thousands of American farmers. As one of the world's leading vertically integrated protein companies, we are dedicated to producing "Good food. Responsibly.^®" to feed a growing world population. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to food banks, disaster relief efforts and community outreach programs in all 50 U.S. states. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield^®, Eckrich^®, Gwaltney^® and Nathan's Famous^®, among many others. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com and connect with us on Facebook, X, formerly known as Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Threads. 

About Lumbee Regional Development Association, Inc. 
Lumbee Regional Development Association, Inc. (LRDA) was created to provide services for the Lumbee Indian communities. With main offices in Pembroke, NC, LRDA has worked aggressively to improve services for members of the Lumbee Tribe. The Board of Directors for many years served as the governing body of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. The Staff and Board members of LRDA have extensive experience in human services, governmental services, operations of grant-funded programs, and Indian affairs. The Board of Directors has connections to grassroots Lumbee communities, as well as local, state, and federal governmental offices. LRDA is committed to providing a range of valuable services that assist disadvantaged Indian people. The organization works with several governmental organizations to provide services and improve social and economic conditions in Lumbee communities. LRDA's mission is to continuously assess the needs of Indian people and others in our service area, work to improve the quality of life, and develop and/or obtain resources to fill the gap in the ongoing provision of social, health, economic, housing, education, job development, and training services to meet the needs of our client population. The LRDA Board of Directors continues to support the sovereignty, traditions, culture, and values of the Lumbee people. LRDA continues to seek public input and support for its programs, services, and activities. LRDA is the main sponsor for the Lumbee Homecoming, which takes place each year around the week of the fourth of July.

SOURCE Smithfield Foods, Inc.