Food banks in Abingdon, Va., and Gray, Tenn., received several thousand servings of pork products Friday, as part of a hunger-relief donation by Smithfield Foods and its local partner, Food City.
The Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank in Abingdon had 75,000 refrigerated servings of ham delivered to its door Friday afternoon by Smithfield – just hours after an identical amount was donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee in Gray.
The deliveries were part of Smithfield’s “Helping Hungry Homes” project, which provides protein-based meals to needy areas across the country.
Based in Smithfield, Va., Smithfield Foods is the nation’s largest pork seller. The company worked with Food City, which sells numerous Smithfield products in its area stores – in choosing the Abindgon and Gray food banks as local sites receiving the donations.
“Both the Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee areas have increased needs for the services that food banks provide, and we believe these deliveries can help address that need,” Dennis Pittman, a Smithfield spokesman, said Friday.
Pittman said Smithfield’s deliveries could particularly help the Abingdon and Gray sites because many food banks have difficulty keeping adequate amounts of meat and other protein-based foods in stock.
“For us, this is a chance to give back to our communities, which include a lot of people who have been our loyal customers,” Pittman said. “Hopefully, these servings can help some people in need get some meals. And help get them back on their feet.”
The Abingdon and Gray food banks received a variety of ham products, including spiral-sliced, whole and half-hams.
Jeremy Butterfield, a Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank spokesman, said Smithfield’s donated food would be distributed among the 340 agencies it serves in its region.
Kathryn Smith, a spokeswoman at Gray’s Second Harvest food bank, said the agency provides meals to some 200 charities – and that Smithfield’s donation would have a huge impact.
“A lot of times, needy families struggle to get enough protein items, which are easier to build a full meal around, ” Smith said. “A donation like this is definitely going to make a major contribution. It’s going to help a huge number of people and families.”
rbrown@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2512
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement