Smithfield Foods starts back-to-school aid rallies for 1,200 US families

Smithfield Foods and the nonprofit Feed the Children launched a series of three Feed the Children Resource Rallies to help families prepare for the upcoming school year. The first rally began on August 7 in Nashville, Tennessee, with subsequent events scheduled for August 12 in Denison, Iowa, and August 19 in Kinston, North Carolina. Each rally will serve roughly 400 families, providing a 25‑pound box of shelf‑stable food, a 15‑pound box of hygiene items, and a backpack containing school supplies and a meal kit.

Smithfield is contributing $100,000 and donating thousands of pounds of protein products, including ham, bacon and lunchmeat, to the events. The effort builds on a three‑year partnership and the company’s Helping Hungry Homes® program, which has donated more than 340 million servings of protein since 2008. Jim Monroe, vice president of corporate affairs for Smithfield Foods, said the collaboration aims to give every child the tools and confidence needed to succeed in the classroom. Emily Callahan, president and CEO of Feed the Children, added that the initiative helps ease the burden of hunger and hardship for families during the back‑to‑school season.