Food bank receives 30K pounds of pork

Food bank receives 30K pounds of pork

    WATKINS GLEN—The Food Bank of the Southern Tier received 30,000 pounds of pork as a donation from Smithfield Packing Co., United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) and Tops Friendly Markets, Friday, Aug. 10.
    The donation was held at the Watkins Glen Tops location as part of the Feeding the Hungry Tour.  The stop featured former NASCAR driver Richard Petty, whose number 43 car is sponsored by Smithfield.
    “Each week, over 11,000 individuals visit a hunger-relief member agency served by the Food Bank of the Southern Tier. This donation is a great addition to the menu for those we serve,” said Natasha Thompson, Food Bank of the Southern Tier president in a press release.
    The Food Bank of the Southern Tier distributed nearly 7.5 million pounds of food to neighbors in need across the six Southern Tier counties of Broome, Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga and Tompkins in 2011.  In operation since 1981, the food bank distributes food and food-related products to people in need through a network of more than 160 hunger-relief member agencies including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other non-profit organizations. The agency also has a number of direct service programs that fight hunger including the BackPack Program and Mobile Food Pantry.
    “We are so proud to be able to say that we are in our third year of the Feeding the Hungry tour. We’ve made more than 100 stops traveling from Miami, Florida all the way to Anchorage, Alaska,” said Dennis Pittman, public affairs director for Smithfield.
    “Millions of people do not know where their next meal will come from,” said Mike Patti, Tops eastern region vice president.
    “We’re lucky we don’t have to worry about this,” said Petty at the event.  He added a racing cup series always brings a lot of people and attention to an area, which is helpful when raising awareness of needs.  Petty said it’s “a big boost for the community.”
    Petty added he has been helping with the fundraisers like this for years.  He said, “It makes you want to appreciate what you really get.”