Smithfield Foods has made a $50,000 donation to TeamMates, a mentoring program serving third through 12th grade students in the Midwest. This investment, made through Smithfield's Crete, Nebraska, operation, will support local students with one-on-one mentoring to help them reach their full potential.

"Giving back to the communities in which Smithfield operates is one of our core values," said Steve Evans, vice president of community development for Smithfield Foods. "We have an important responsibility to support our communities, and we fulfill that responsibility through targeted philanthropy and employee volunteerism. TeamMates gives us an opportunity to have a meaningful impact in advancing the education of young people in Crete."

"Smithfield has been a great partner over the past dozen years," said Zoe White, program coordinator for TeamMates in Crete. "The financial support and volunteer mentors they provide are the backbone of the program, which has had a tremendous positive impact on the lives of the youth in our community each and every day."

This is the 12th year Smithfield has supported the program, in which company volunteer mentors work with students, assist with homework, explore interests and hobbies, and help identify talents. Since the launch of the company's partnership with TeamMates' Crete chapter in 2011, Smithfield has donated more than $600,000 to the program, and more than 200 students have participated.

Smithfield's contribution to TeamMates is part of the company's commitment to supporting education, one of its key philanthropic focus areas. Smithfield's Crete, Nebraska, facility employs more than 1,500 community members.