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Food bank to distribute 30,000 pounds of pork
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Dennis Pitman, left, Smithfield Foods’ director of corporate communications, and Michael Iberis, executive director of Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley, stand beside an 18-wheeler that delivered 30,000 pounds of pork products donated to the food bank by Smithfield and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.
Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley feeds hungry people in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties through a network of 153 hunger-relief organizations and the BackPack and Mobile Pantry programs.
Fast facts:
Food bank member agencies are feeding nearly 12,000 residents in the tri-county area each week.
The unemployment rate in the tri-county area is 11.3 percent, above the state average of 9.7 percent.
For information on how to help feed hungry families, visit www. mahoningvalleysecondharvest.org, or call 330-792-5522.
Source: Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley
YOUNGSTOWN
Food pantries and kitchens in the tri-county area next week will begin receiving the 30,000 pounds of pork donated to Second Harvest Food Bank of Mahoning Valley by Smithfield Foods and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.
Twenty pallets, holding enough pork hams, tenderloin cuts, ribs, chops and bacon to make 120,000 servings of protein-packed items, were unloaded Thursday from Smithfield’s refrigerated semi-truck into the freezer at the food bank’s facility at 2805 Salt Springs Road.
“We will begin Tuesday distributing the pork to our network of hunger-relief organizations in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties,” said Michael Iberis, Second Harvest executive director.
Smithfield said the wholesale value of the 30,000 pounds of pork products is $70,000.
Giant Eagle, a retail partner of Smithfield and supporter of Second Harvest, also participated in the program, Iberis said.
Smithfield’s Feeding the Hungry is one of the company’s Helping Hungry Homes initiatives. The stop at Second Harvest was part of the Smithfield/UFCWA Feeding The Hungry coast-to-coast tour that has donated 20 million servings of protein over three years.
Iberis said food banks nationwide are reporting a 46 percent increase in the number of people coming to them for help including more first-time visitors, unemployed workers, employed individuals, seniors and families with children.
“We are extremely grateful to Smithfield and the United Food and Commercial Workers [UFCW] for this very generous donation and to Giant Eagle for choosing the Food Bank as recipient,” Iberis said.
“Donations like this are always needed and appreciated but especially at this time of year. For many of our hungry friends and neighbors, the efforts of Smithfield, the Commercial Workers and Giant Eagle make these tough decisions unnecessary,” he said.
“Smithfield Foods is committed to hunger relief,” said Dennis Pittman, Smithfield public-affairs director. “We felt the need to help shine a spotlight on an ever-increasing problem for American families. Providing hunger relief will continue to remain a priority.”
“The UFCW is committed to ensuring that families across the country have the relief and the opportunities they need to weather the current economic crises,” said Joe Hansen, UFCW international president. “Our goal is simple: Get good, nutritious food to as many families, in as many communities, as possible.”