Smithfield Foods and Utah Pork Producers Donate 35,000 Pounds of Protein to Utah Food Bank

Football players from Brigham Young University and Utah State, members of the Utah legislature and Jimmer Fredette's Foundation join in "Points for Protein" hunger relief event

SMITHFIELD, Va., March 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Smithfield Foods, Inc., the Utah Pork Producers Association (UPPA) and the Fredette Family Foundation delivered 35,000 pounds of protein, or 140,000 servings, to Utah Food Bank to push the organizations' joint "Points for Protein" campaign over the goal line.

Smithfield and UPPA, in cooperation with the Fredette Family Foundation, committed to donate 50 pounds of protein to Utah Food Bank for each point scored by BYU and Utah State during the 2022-2023 football season. The teams scored a combined 696 points, resulting in a donation of 35,000 pounds of protein. The donated products, which include ham, bacon, lunch meat and hot dogs, will be distributed throughout the state via Utah Food Bank's network of partner agencies such as the Beaver County Food Share.

"Smithfield is committed to fighting food insecurity in our communities, and this donation will go a long way toward helping the food bank serve people who are facing hunger throughout Utah," said Jonathan Toms, senior community development manager for Smithfield Foods. "We're honored to work with these great partners to make this donation a reality, and we'd like to sincerely thank everyone who was a part of our "Points for Protein" campaign this year."

"Utah pork producers across the state are committed to serving our local communities," said Jim Webb, president of the Utah Pork Producers Association. "We are grateful to the BYU and Utah State football teams and hope that this year's sizable protein donation helps ease the burden and stress that hunger causes far too many Utah families."

"Utah Food Bank is so grateful to Smithfield Foods for this important donation of protein, which is something always requested but rarely donated," said Ginette Bott, Utah Food Bank president and chief executive officer. "We, and especially our clients, appreciate the support of UPPA and Smithfield, along with the Utah State and BYU football teams, for working so hard this season to help us fight hunger."

"Utah scores in the fight against food insecurity every time BYU and Utah State football score. For me, that's a win every time," said  Jimmer Fredette, founder of the Fredette Family Foundation. "I could not be more proud of the continued success of the "Points for Protein" program, and I'm grateful for our partnership with Smithfield and UPPA."

This year's donation brings the total donated since 2019 through the "Points for Protein" partnership to 198,000 pounds, or 792,000 servings, of protein. Smithfield Foods has donated nearly 500,000 pounds of protein, or nearly 2 million servings, to Utah Food Bank since 2010.

Nationally, Smithfield has donated hundreds of millions of protein servings to food banks, disaster relief efforts and community outreach programs in all 50 U.S. states since 2008 through its Helping Hungry Homes^® program, and has pledged to donate an additional 200 million servings of protein by 2025.

The company donated more than 240,000 servings of food to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank and Feeding Southwest Virginia in January 2023 and 120,000 servings of food to the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore in December 2022. Smithfield also delivered 140,000 food servings to support winter disaster relief in Kentucky, 150,000 food servings to victims of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, Florida, last October, and contributed $2 million to Ukraine crisis relief efforts in March 2022. Smithfield donated a total of more than 6 million pounds of protein, or 24 million servings, in 2022.

More information about Smithfield's ongoing work to strengthen our communities and fight food insecurity is available here.

About Smithfield Foods, Inc.
Headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia, since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is a U.S. food company that provides more than 60,000 jobs 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 have pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including our industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in our U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30% across our entire U.S. value chain by 2030. 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, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. 

About Utah Pork Producers Association
The Utah Pork Producers Association (UPPA) has been representing hog farmers in the state of Utah since 1986, including commercial, independent and show hog farmers. Recognized as the 15th largest hog producing state in the United States, UPPA assists Smithfield Foods and independent producers in Cache Valley and throughout the state to supply healthy and delicious pork to Utah, the United States, and to global markets worldwide in helping to feed the world.

About Utah Food Bank
Founded in 1904, Utah Food Bank has operated under various names but remains true to its mission of Fighting Hunger Statewide by providing food to a statewide network of 230 emergency food pantries and agencies. Last fiscal year, Utah Food Bank distributed 67.3 million pounds of food and goods, the equivalent of approximately 56.1 million meals, to families and individuals in need across the state.  For more information about Utah Food Bank, visit www.utahfoodbank.org. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UtahFoodBank and Twitter at www.twitter.com/UtahFoodBank.

About Fredette Family Foundation 
Fredette Family Foundation (@Jimmerosity) was founded in 2011 by NCAA Men's Basketball Player of the Year and NBA lottery pick, Jimmer Fredette. Also known as "Jimmerosity", the foundation designs and operates programs to strengthen and support families, youth, and local communities throughout the United States. For more information, please visit www.Jimmerosity.org. Find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Jimmerosity and on Instagram at www.Instagram.com/Jimmerosity.

 

CONTACT: Ray Atkinson, RAtkinson@smithfield.com