Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC Announces Total Donations from Smithfield Foods Hunger Relief Day

Core Insights - Smithfield Foods Hunger Relief Day at the N.C. State Fair has successfully raised enough food to provide 150,000 meals for those facing hunger in North Carolina for the fifth consecutive year [1][3]. Group 1: Event Impact - The event collected six cans of food from fairgoers in exchange for free admission, resulting in 16 truckloads of food being donated [3]. - Since its inception in 1993, the N.C. State Fair's Hunger Relief Day has raised over 6.7 million pounds of food [6]. Group 2: Hunger Crisis Context - North Carolina is experiencing a severe hunger crisis, with over 1.6 million residents, or 1 in 7 people, uncertain about their next meal [3]. - The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina serves as a central hub for over 700 partner programs across a 34-county region, addressing food insecurity [8]. Group 3: Company Commitment - Smithfield Foods has a long-standing partnership with the N.C. State Fair and the Food Bank, emphasizing their commitment to providing access to nutritious food for families in need [5]. - Smithfield's hunger relief program, Helping Hungry Homes, has delivered hundreds of millions of servings of protein across all 50 U.S. states since 2008, including over 25 million servings valued at nearly $28 million in 2024 [6].