Smithfield Foods Provides 2,000 Free Holiday Hams to Virginia and North Carolina Families in Need

News provided by

Dec 13, 2024, 12:40 ET

SMITHFIELD, Va., Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Smithfield Foods distributed 2,000 free Smithfield Hickory Smoked Spiral Sliced Hams to neighbors facing hunger in Southeastern Virginia and Southeastern North Carolina this holiday season.

Smithfield hosted two food distribution drive-through events in Smithfield, Virginia, and Kenansville, North Carolina, on Friday, Dec. 13. More than 80 Smithfield employees volunteered to hand out 1,000 holiday hams at each event.

Stephanie Edwards, associate human resources generalist, Smithfield Foods, and Melissa Williams, digital learning designer, Smithfield Foods, pack bags with holiday food items donated by Kroger for Smithfield’s Holiday Meal Distribution event in Smithfield, Virginia.

Crystal Gray, human resources coordinator, Smithfield Foods, and Toni King, environmental resource specialist, Smithfield Foods, load cars with Smithfield Hickory Smoked Spiral Sliced Hams and holiday side items donated by Food Lion in Kenansville, North Carolina.

Smithfield partnered with Kroger at the Smithfield, Virginia, event, while Food Lion supported the Kenansville, North Carolina, event, each providing 1,000 grocery bags filled with seasonal side dishes to pair with the Smithfield hams for a complete meal.

"Addressing hunger in our local communities is a top priority for Smithfield, especially during the holiday season when many families and individuals are facing food insecurity," said Shane Smith, president and chief executive officer for Smithfield Foods. "We're grateful to Kroger and Food Lion for helping us bring hope and support to our neighbors who are facing food insecurity during the holidays."

"Giving back to the community is a key part of our mission, and it's especially meaningful to collaborate with partners who share our commitment to combating food insecurity, particularly during the holidays," said James Menees, corporate affairs manager for Kroger Mid-Atlantic. "In a season where many families are forced to make tough financial decisions, we are grateful to play a role in easing their burden and filling their table."

"At Food Lion, we believe no one should have to choose between dinner and rent or gas and groceries," stated Sherique Jenkins, director of operations for Food Lion. "We're honored to partner with Smithfield Foods for this event, and through Food Lion Feeds, we know that today's work will help our neighbors who are experiencing hunger. At Food Lion, we're passionate and dedicated to nourishing our neighbors and helping address food insecurity in the towns and cities we serve."

Smithfield collaborated with the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank and the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore at the Smithfield, Virginia, event, and the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina and Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina at the Kenansville, North Carolina, event to encourage individuals and families at risk of food insecurity to pick up a free holiday meal.

Smithfield's hunger relief program, Helping Hungry Homes^®, has provided hundreds of millions of servings of protein in all 50 U.S. states since 2008. Smithfield donated more than 30 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
Smithfield Foods is an American food company with a leading position in packaged meats and fresh pork products. With a diverse brand portfolio and strong relationships with U.S. farmers and customers, we responsibly meet demand for quality protein around the world.

About Kroger's Mid-Atlantic Division
The Mid-Atlantic Division operates more than 100 stores in Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio. Based in Richmond, Virginia, the Mid-Atlantic Division employs about 18,000 associates. Kroger is dedicated to eliminating hunger in the communities it serves through partnerships with nine Feeding America food banks and numerous local organizations. The grocers Zero Hunger | Zero Waste efforts are aimed at ending hunger in Kroger communities and eliminating waste in stores by 2025. Kroger also supports breast cancer research, the military and their families and more than 4,000 nonprofit organizations. Last year, Kroger Mid-Atlantic donated 16.5 million meals to charity and 3,606,296 pounds of food to food bank partners.

About Food Lion
Food Lion is an omnichannel grocery retailer committed to nourishing its neighbors. More than 82,000 associates across 1,100+ stores deliver an easy, fresh and affordable shopping experience throughout 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. With a focus on hunger relief, Food Lion is a pioneer in food rescue. In 2014, Food Lion Feeds was created and has since donated more than 1.2 billion meals to those who are food insecure. The retailer has committed to donate 1.5 billion meals by 2025. Founded and based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, Food Lion is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of Zaandam-based Ahold Delhaize. For more information, visit foodlion.com.

SOURCE Smithfield Foods, Inc.