Smithfield Foods Donates More Than 40,000 Pounds of Protein to Three Square Food Bank; Eckrich Brand Provides Funds to Local Schools

Today, Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Albertsons joined forces to donate more than 40,000 pounds of protein to Three Square Food Bank. Smithfield’s contribution was part of the company’s 2019 Helping Hungry Homes donation tour. Helping Hungry Homes is Smithfield’s signature hunger-relief initiative focused on alleviating hunger and helping Americans become more food secure. The donation, equivalent to more than 169,000 servings, will help families fight hunger across Southern Nevada.

“One in eight people in Southern Nevada is struggling with hunger, including more than 103,000 children,” says Michelle Beck, chief development officer with Three Square Food Bank. “Our mission of providing wholesome food to hungry people, while passionately pursuing a hunger-free community would not be possible without the support of partners like Smithfield Foods and Albertsons. We are incredibly thankful for the support provided at this community celebration.”

Representatives from Smithfield and Albertsons presented the donation to Three Square Food Bank at a community celebration and grand opening event at the new Albertsons Las Vegas store location this morning. Members of each organization discussed food insecurity in the local community and the significance of this donation, which will provide protein throughout the food bank’s service area, reaching food insecure individuals across Southern Nevada.

“At Smithfield, we’re committed to supporting community vitality from coast-to-coast,” says Jonathan Toms, associate manager of charitable initiatives for Smithfield Foods. “As part of our social purpose, we deliver on this commitment through donations from our Helping Hungry Homes program, as well as the initiatives led by our family of brands, to those in need across the country. We are proud to do this today for our Nevada neighbors in need with such a great community-focused event and our partners.”

In addition to Smithfield’s large-scale protein donation, Albertsons presented more than $50,000 in community grants to 15 local organizations to support musical arts, athletics, healthcare, special needs, and education in the local area. Eckrich, a brand of Smithfield Foods, supplemented Albertsons’ donations to local schools with a $6,000 contribution as a part of their commitment to support education in the community.

“Giving back to the community is part of the Eckrich brand heritage, and we are excited for the opportunity to continue this tradition through the donations made today,” said Elizabeth Di John, director of marketing for Smithfield Foods. “We are proud to support these local schools and teachers by enabling their positive impact on the community.”

“Albertsons is thrilled to expand its ability to serve the residents of Las Vegas and are proud to present these donations to our local community,” said Shane Dorcheus, executive vice president and president of the Southwest Division for Albertsons, Safeway and Vons. “We’re fortunate to unveil this brand-new location alongside fantastic community-focused partners who support our efforts to give back.”

To officially open the new Albertsons Las Vegas store location, partners hosted a community celebration which included a ribbon-cutting event, musical entertainment from country recording artist Ben Rue, secured by Eckrich, as well as presentations from Centennial High School including the ROTC, choir, cheer squad, marching band, and orchestra student organizations.

This is the sixth large-scale protein donation made by Smithfield to food banks across the country during its 2019 Helping Hungry Homes tour. Since the program’s inception in 2008, Smithfield has provided more than 120 million servings of protein to food banks, disaster relief efforts, and community outreach programs nationwide.

For more information about Smithfield Foods’ Helping Hungry Homes initiative and a list of upcoming donation events, visit helpinghungryhomes.com.