As millions of people prepare their football feasts for Super Bowl Sunday, one of the country's largest food consumption holidays, 40 million Americans don't know where their next meal will come from. Recognizing this, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is partnering with Southeastern Grocers, parent company and home of BI-LO, Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, to donate more than 160,000 servings of protein to Feeding South Florida ahead of the big event. The donation marks the beginning of Smithfield's 2020 Helping Hungry Homes donation tour.

"Whether at home or in Miami for the big game, all eyes will be on what's happening in the stadium, but we can't lose sight of our neighbors in need," says Jonathan Toms, associate manager of charitable initiatives for Smithfield Foods. "Our goal with this donation is to ensure no one is forgotten in the fight against hunger even as the country ramps up for one of the biggest sporting events of the year."

Helping Hungry Homes is Smithfield's signature hunger-relief initiative focused on alleviating hunger and helping Americans become more food secure. Since the creation of the program, Smithfield has donated more than 145 million servings of nutritious, high-quality protein to food banks, school nutrition programs, disaster relief efforts and community outreach programs across all 50 states.

"We are thrilled to partner with Smithfield, a company that has continuously provided support to communities across the country," says Paco Vélez, president and CEO of Feeding South Florida. "Protein is a vital resource for the families we serve, especially during one of the most celebrated weekends of the year and a time of such abundance."

This week Smithfield and SEG presented the donation to Feeding South Florida at an event at the food bank which is located just minutes from the stadium, where Kansas City and San Francisco will compete for the Super Bowl LIV championship. Over the course of the year, Smithfield Foods will provide dozens of additional donations to communities across the country.

"Through our combined efforts with Smithfield, we will continue to fight hunger and address the critical need to feed America's families," says Jorge Cabo, South Florida regional vice president for Winn-Dixie. "We are especially thankful for the opportunity to team up with these likeminded organizations to work toward our common goal."

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