MIDWEST CITY, Okla., Sept. 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Eckrich®, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and perfectly seasoned deli meats, partnered with WinCo Foods and Operation Homefront to honor an Edmond, Oklahoma military family on Wednesday, and thank them for their service.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a7264eee-a4aa-4504-a5d1-8c9d559a4620

When the Campbell family arrived to the neighborhood WinCo store, Eckrich surprised the family with a grocery shopping spree. Then at checkout, the brand provided the family with another surprise: a gift of free groceries for a year at WinCo Foods, valued at more than $10,000.
        
Retired Petty Officer Jim Campbell served honorably with the US Navy for more than a decade as a Mass Communications Specialist during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. During his service, he was awarded several medals and ribbons. Jim and his wife, Selena, have been married for six years. Selena is Jim’s full-time caregiver and a member of Operation Homefront’s Hearts of Valor® program, a network of more than 3,000 caregivers of wounded service members which provides annual retreats, support groups, and online communities.

“We are humbled by this gift of groceries from Eckrich and WinCo Foods,” said Selena Campbell. “Serving as Jim’s full-time caregiver does not allow me to work outside of our home so this gift of groceries will relieve some financial stress from our family.”

The surprise is part of the ongoing campaign by Eckrich to honor, thank, and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront. Eckrich, now in its sixth year of the partnership, has donated more than $2.5 million to the organization since 2012. Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive – not simply struggle to get by – in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.
                                                                
“Eckrich is proud to support military families across the country, and we are grateful for WinCo’s continued partnership,” said Mike Paribello, Smithfield Foods senior director of marketing. “We are inspired by the sacrifices made by the Campbell family and we hope this gift of groceries will serve as a sign of our appreciation for all that they do.”

For more information about Eckrich, please visit www.eckrich.com or follow Eckrich on Facebook and Twitter. Eckrich is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Eckrich 
Founded by Peter Eckrich in 1894, Eckrich has a rich heritage starting from a small meat market in Fort Wayne, Ind. Through it all, Eckrich meats have been recognized for their great taste and supreme quality, craftsmanship, care and pride. For more information, visit www.eckrich.com.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world’s largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathan’s Famous, Farmland, Armour, John Morrell, Cook’s, Kretschmar, Gwaltney, Curly’s, Margherita, Carando, Healthy Ones, Krakus, Morliny and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

About Operation Homefront

Founded in 2002, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive – not simply struggle to get by – in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves America’s military families. For more information, go to www.OperationHomefront.org.

 

CONTACT: Contact:
Hannah Meadors,
Breaking Limits for Eckrich
2137 South Blvd., Suite 200
Charlotte, N.C. 28203
Cell: 434-250-4770
E-Mail: [email protected]