The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore Announces Statewide Legal Food Frenzy
Smithfield Foods Donates More than 26,000 Pounds of Protein
Norfolk, VA—April 11, 2022 — The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore today announced registration for the Legal Food Frenzy — an annual fundraising competition created in partnership with the Virginia Attorney General, the Young Lawyers Division (YLD) of the Virginia Bar Association, and the Federation of Virginia Food Banks to support hunger relief efforts across the Commonwealth. To date, more than 20 million pounds of food have been donated to hungry families through Virginia’s seven regional food banks and their 1,500 partner agencies.
Smithfield Foods kicked off the fundraiser with an in-kind donation from their legal department — 26,558 pounds of protein valued at $106,232 – which will support the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore amidst supply chain shortages.
“We rely on the support of local grocery retailers; and as they experience difficulties related to obtaining food, we face similar challenges,” said David Brandt, Senior Communications Director for the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore. “In recent months, we have struggled to provide lean proteins for our families experiencing hunger and food insecurity, so this generous donation is very timely and will help us to continue serving the needs of our community despite supply chain disruptions.”
To date, the Foodbank has 33 law offices registered for the fundraiser — with a goal to connect with 40 firms, raise $60,000, and secure 4,000 pounds of food.
“Smithfield Foods is pleased to continue our longstanding support of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore through this annual fundraiser,” said Jonathan Toms, Community Development Manager for Smithfield Foods. “It is our hope that our donation will spark friendly competition and encourage other legal entities to join the effort to eliminate hunger in our region.”
The Legal Food Frenzy offers five competition categories and registration is open until April 29. For more information or to register, visit www.FoodbankOnline.org.
About the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore
For 40 years, the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore has provided over 300 million meals to those in our community who face hunger. Through our programs, facilities, and large network of community partners, we “eliminate hunger” on a daily basis for many. However, we understand that our current work addresses hunger for individuals in the short term. It does not address the root causes which force individuals to return to a food pantry again and again. This understanding has led to the creation of a 3-year strategic plan aimed to move Hampton Roads closer to achieving the mission of eliminating hunger for those we serve—not only for the day, or for the week, but for a lifetime. For up-to-date information on the Foodbank, visit www.foodbankonline.org, Facebook, or Twitter.
About Smithfield Foods, Inc.
Headquartered in Smithfield, Va. since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. With more than 60,000 jobs globally, we are dedicated to producing “Good food. Responsibly®” and serve as one of the world’s leading vertically integrated protein companies. 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 percent 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 our communities. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield®, Eckrich® and Nathan’s Famous®, among many others. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Media Contact:
Elisabeth Rusch, The KBD Group
erusch@thekbdgroup.com
(262) 707-4811
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