Smithfield Foods Donates $100,000 Worth of Meats to Local Food Bank

The Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana got a nice infusion today -- $100,000 worth of protein from Smithfield Foods and Brookshire's. A truck loaded with ham, bacon and other pork products arrived at the North Market Street Brookshire's, and headed over to the Food Bank afterward. Smithfield's Dennis Pittman says this is part of the company's "Helping Hungry Homes" tour, which makes over 100 stops all across the U.S.

"We partner with folks like Brookshire's to bring food to food banks across the country," Pittman says. "Today's stop is the 150th stop of this tour that has gone from Anchorage, Alaska, to Miami, Florida."

Food Bank of NWLA Executive Director Martha Marak says she's thrilled about the donation. Ones of this size don't happen every day, and she tells KEEL News that this food will help feed thousands of hungry families right here in our eight-parish area. And she says the need is great. "This incredibly generous donation comes at a time when the demand for our services is higher than it's ever been," Marak says. "We couldn't be more grateful for this much needed support."

Pittman tells me it's amazing what his group has found going across the country. "How many folks who were, two years ago, bringing food to the food bank, are now today having to come to the food bank for some help," he says. "Times are tough. It's a chance for us to give back, along with Brookshire, to help the folks here."