NEWPORT NEWS, Nov 04, 2009 (Daily Press - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX News Network) --

Christopher Newport University launches a 10-hour food drive for the Peninsula Foodbank Wednesday with a multi-ton donation of ham from Smithfield Foods.

Students, faculty and staff hope to beat last year's donations of almost 60,000 pounds of food and about $4,800 in monetary donations for the Foodbank. Smithfield is donating 13,500 pounds of ham and fresh pork as part of its national "Helping Hungry Homes" campaign.

Community residents and the public are invited to bring nonperishable food to the Ferguson Center for the Arts colonnade between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. to add to the mix of contributions, all of which will be transported directly to the Foodbank at the end of the day. CNU spokeswoman Lori Jacobs said the Foodbank is in desperate need of donations this year.

"The stats on how many people they feed, especially hungry children in Newport News, is staggering," she said.

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