BRODHEADSVILLE, Pa., Aug. 01, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield’s Helping Hungry Homes program made the 19th stop on its 2016 nationwide hunger-relief tour Friday morning to donate more than 25,000 pounds of much-needed protein, a nutritional resource often hard to come by for food banks, to the Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank. The donation will provide more than 100,000 servings and help the food bank continue to provide meals to northeastern Pennsylvania communities.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/df2a4efd-4785-425e-8408-0906f271120d
Smithfield partnered with Weis Markets and Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) to present the donation to the Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank during an event on Friday, July 29 at Weis Markets, located at 924 Weir Lake Rd., Brodheadsville, PA. Speakers discussed the importance of donations like these in northeastern Pennsylvania, where more than 13 percent of individuals are food insecure.
“The King” of racing, Richard Petty, who has partnered with the Smithfield Helping Hungry Homes program to donate thousands of pounds of protein over recent years, was present to discuss the importance of these donations from Smithfield and to raise awareness about the necessity of providing assistance to our neighbors in need.
Helping Hungry Homes, now in its eighth year, is Smithfield’s coast-to-coast program to help Americans become more food secure. This year, the program will help fight hunger through more than 30 large-scale protein donations to food banks across the United States totaling more than 3.5 million servings. To date, Helping Hungry Homes has provided more than 40 million servings of protein to food banks across America.
“The Weinberg Regional Food Bank relies on the generous support of food donors like Smithfield, financial donors, and volunteers to accomplish its mission,” said Gene Brady, executive director of the Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank. “Without this support, we could not feed hungry families and children across northeastern Pennsylvania every day.”
“It’s an honor to partner with Smithfield and Richard Petty Motorsports in this donation benefitting the Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank,” said John Grimes, Weis Markets’ vice president of meat and seafood. “At Weis Markets, giving back to the communities we serve is a top priority, and providing much needed support to local food banks allows us the opportunity to help in the fight against hunger. This sizable donation will have a positive impact on the lives of thousands of people throughout northeastern Pennsylvania, and it’s a really good feeling to help families let go of the worry about how they’ll put food on the table.”
“Smithfield is proud to partner with Weis Markets and RPM to provide the Weinberg Food Bank with this donation through our Helping Hungry Homes program,” said Dennis Pittman, Smithfield senior director of corporate communications and public affairs. “Food insecurity means that someone does not know from where their next meal will come, and it is a very real situation that can happen to anyone. We are proud to provide this wholesome protein to the food bank to help meet the needs of families and individuals throughout communities in northeastern Pennsylvania.”
“Richard Petty Motorsports is honored to participate in this donation leading up to Pocono race weekend,” said Petty. “So many race fans are loyal customers of Smithfield and shop at Weis Markets, so it’s great to see the two organizations partnering to give back to the communities that support them, and our race team, throughout the year.”
Following the donation event, Petty signed autographs for 50 fans, while guests and customers were invited to sample a wide variety of delicious Smithfield Foods products at the event display.
About Smithfield
A leading provider of high-quality pork products, Smithfield was founded in 1936 in Smithfield, Virginia, establishing the town as the “Ham Capital of the World.” From hand-trimmed bacon and slow-smoked holiday hams to marinated tenderloins, Smithfield brings artistry, authenticity and a commitment to heritage, flavor, and handcrafted excellence to everything it produces. With a vast product portfolio including smoked meats, hams, bacon, sausage, ribs, and a wide variety of fresh pork cuts, the company services retail, foodservice, and deli channels across the United States and 30 countries abroad. All of Smithfield's products meet the highest quality and safety standards in the industry. To learn more about how Flavor Hails from Smithfield, please visit www.Smithfield.com, www.Twitter.com/SmithfieldBrand, and www.Facebook.com/CookingWithSmithfield. Smithfield is a brand of Smithfield Foods.
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®, Nathan's Famous®, Farmland®, Armour®, John Morrell®, Cook's®, Kretschmar®, Gwaltney®, Curly's®, Margherita®, Carando®, Healthy Ones®, Krakus®, Morliny®, and Berlinki®. 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.
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 with drivers Aric Almirola and Brian Scott. Almirola will return to the iconic No. 43 Ford with partners Smithfield Foods, STP, United States Air Force and the “Fresh From Florida” campaign. Scott will make his debut with the team and drive the Petty Family No. 44 Ford. Albertsons Companies, Shore Lodge, Twisted Tea and GoBowling.com will join Scott as he competes for Rookie of the Year in his first full-time season in the Sprint Cup Series. Richard Petty Motorsports will also field the No. 43 Ford Mustang in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.
About Weis Markets
Founded in 1912, Weis Markets, Inc. is a Mid Atlantic food retailer operating 162 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and West Virginia. For more information, please visit: WeisMarkets.com or Facebook.com/WeisMarkets.
About Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank
The Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank assists community organizations in obtaining food to provide to needy families, in particular children and the elderly, by collecting donations of wholesome but unmarketable food from the food industry and distributing it to these organizations. The Food Bank works to reduce hunger and promote proper nutrition in addition to preventing food waste. The Food Bank serves a four-county region in Northeast Pennsylvania including Luzerne, Lackawanna, Susquehanna, and Wyoming Counties. The Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank is a program of the Commission on Economic Opportunity. For more information, or to donate or volunteer, visit us at http://ceopeoplehelpingpeople.org.