Donation will take a bite out of hunger for Lumbee Tribe
members and neighbors facing food insecurity
SMITHFIELD, Va., July 3, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Smithfield Foods donated $10,000 and 30,500 pounds of protein to the
Lumbee Regional Development Association, Inc. (LRDA), an
organization created to provide vital services and resources for
the Lumbee Indian communities to improve social and economic
conditions in North Carolina.
"Addressing food insecurity in underserved areas is key to
advancing vitality in local communities," said Rhonda Campbell, senior community development
manager for Smithfield Foods. "We applaud the Lumbee Regional
Development Association for its leadership and commitment to
providing North Carolina's tribal
communities with access to critical services and resources that
will benefit many lives in the community."
Donated food items included Smithfield® Power Bites, smoked
sausage, lunch meat, bacon, ham, hot dogs, chops, ribs,
tenderloins, picnics and ground pork, providing more than 122,000
servings of high-quality, nutritious protein to Lumbee tribe
members and neighbors facing food insecurity.
Smithfield's protein donation
was delivered to local nonprofits during a food distribution event
on June 29 hosted by LRDA during
Lumbee Homecoming in Pembroke, North
Carolina. Since 1968, Lumbee Homecoming has been one of the
most well-attended American Indian events celebrating the tribe's
heritage, pride and culture.
"Lumbee Regional Development Association is proud to sponsor the
55th Lumbee Homecoming. This year, LRDA is hosting this
'Helping Hungry Homes' event in partnership with Smithfield Foods,"
said Horace Hunt, chairman of LRDA
board of directors. "Our shared mission for this event is to bring
awareness to and address food insecurity in our local communities.
We have invited local churches and nonprofit organizations to
register to serve as distribution sites to place this food in local
communities, and we are honored to partner with Smithfield to host this event."
Smithfield's hunger relief
program, Helping Hungry Homes®, has provided hundreds of millions
of servings of protein all 50 U.S. states, as well as in
Poland, Romania and Mexico, since 2008. Smithfield donated nearly 28 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, Inc.
Headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia, since
1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is a U.S. food company that
employs more than 54,000 people in seven countries and partners
with thousands of American farmers. As one of the world's leading
vertically integrated protein companies, we are dedicated to
producing "Good food. Responsibly.®" to feed a growing
world population. We believe in the power of protein to end food
insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings
to food banks, disaster relief efforts and community outreach
programs in all 50 U.S. states. Smithfield boasts a portfolio
of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield®,
Eckrich®, Gwaltney® and Nathan's
Famous®, among many others. For more information, visit
www.smithfieldfoods.com and connect with us
on Facebook, X, formerly known as Twitter,
LinkedIn, Instagram and Threads.
About Lumbee Regional Development Association,
Inc.
Lumbee Regional Development Association, Inc.
(LRDA) was created to provide services for the Lumbee Indian
communities. With main offices in Pembroke, NC, LRDA has worked aggressively to
improve services for members of the Lumbee Tribe. The Board of
Directors for many years served as the governing body of the Lumbee
Tribe of North Carolina. The Staff
and Board members of LRDA have extensive experience in human
services, governmental services, operations of grant-funded
programs, and Indian affairs. The Board of Directors has
connections to grassroots Lumbee communities, as well as local,
state, and federal governmental offices. LRDA is committed to
providing a range of valuable services that assist disadvantaged
Indian people. The organization works with several governmental
organizations to provide services and improve social and economic
conditions in Lumbee communities. LRDA's mission is to continuously
assess the needs of Indian people and others in our service area,
work to improve the quality of life, and develop and/or obtain
resources to fill the gap in the ongoing provision of social,
health, economic, housing, education, job development, and training
services to meet the needs of our client population. The LRDA Board
of Directors continues to support the sovereignty, traditions,
culture, and values of the Lumbee people. LRDA continues to seek
public input and support for its programs, services, and
activities. LRDA is the main sponsor for the Lumbee Homecoming,
which takes place each year around the week of the fourth of
July.
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SOURCE Smithfield Foods, Inc.