To help record numbers of struggling families receive the food and nutrition they need over the holidays, the UFCW International Union, Local 400 and the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP teamed up with Smithfield and Kroger to deliver 120,000 servings (30,000 pounds) of protein to the Central Virginia Food Bank in Richmond last week.
In these tough economic times, it was important for Local 400 to pitch in and help those in need. This donation was an expression of the labor movement’s highest values — that all people should be treated with respect and dignity and no one should go without food and other necessities. We were especially pleased that two employers of UFCW members, Smithfield and Kroger, joined us in this worthy cause.
The donation was part of Feeding the Hungry, a joint program of the UFCW and Smithfield to donate and help deliver 20 million servings of protein over three years to food banks around the country. The partnership is designed to bring much-needed assistance to the growing number of people facing hunger and food insecurity in our communities.
“Last year we fed over six million people and as we take our nationwide Feeding the Hungry Tour on the road for the second year, the UFCW is committed to ensuring that families across the country have the relief and the opportunities they need to weather the current economic crisis,” said UFCW International President Joe Hansen. “All across the country, UFCW members are on the front lines of efforts to improve and strengthen their communities, and this partnership reflects their unwavering commitment to protect and advocate for families during tough times.”
Feeding the Hungry is part of the UFCW’s renewed commitment to lead communities in finding solutions based on shared responsibility. UFCW members have a long history of helping those in need, not only for the well-being of workers, but also for the broader community, especially in difficult times.
More than 50 million people in the U.S. daily experience hunger. One in six adults and one in four children know what it is like to go to bed hungry or to have to decide between buying food and paying for other necessities such as utility or medical bills.