Smithfield Foods is teaming up with anti-hunger organization Feed the Children this back-to-school season to provide children and families with wholesome food items, backpacks, shelf-stable food, household essentials and more in three communities where Smithfield Foods operates as a local employer. 

Together, the organizations are holding three resource rallies, each serving approximately 400 families, to help take a bite out of hunger in local communities. The first rally was held in Crete, Neb., on Aug. 6, 2024, and future rallies are planned in Monmouth, Ill., on Aug. 13, 2024, and Sioux Falls, S.D., on Aug. 26, 2024. The rallies are made possible by a $100,000 donation from Smithfield Foods.

Smithfield Foods and Feed the Children employees help distribute food and school supplies to local children and families at the resource rally in Crete, Nebraska, on Aug. 6, 2024. Courtesy of Smithfield Foods Inc. 

Smithfield Foods is also donating thousands of pounds of protein to the families served at the events, including products such as Smithfield bacon, hams, ribs and loins. 

“Having access to safe and wholesome food is key to starting the school year off on the right foot,” said Steve Evans, vice president of community development for Smithfield Foods. “We’re proud to partner with Feed the Children to ensure that local children and families have the support they need for success in and out of the classroom.”

“Children cannot thrive unless their basic needs are met,” said Travis Arnold, president and CEO of Feed the Children. “A widespread issue like childhood hunger will only be solved when enough people work together. Partners like Smithfield Foods are vital to our mission as we serve communities across the U.S.”

At each of these events, families will receive a 25-pound box of shelf-stable food. Families will also receive a 15-pound box of household essentials, and children will receive backpacks that contain a variety of school supplies as well as a shelf-stable meal kit. 

With one in five children in the U.S. experiencing food insecurity, hunger remains a serious issue in many communities, especially during summer months and the back-to-school season. With the cost of supplies steadily increasing, it can be difficult for many families to send their children to school with the materials they need to learn and grow in the classroom. 

Smithfield also recently donated $500,000 to fund SUN Bucks in North Carolina, a newly established, permanent USDA program that provides food assistance to children and families during the summer, and $100,000 to two pay-what-you-can cafes in Missouri and North Carolina. 

Source: Smithfield Foods Inc.