HUNTINGTON INGALLS INDUSTRIES, NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING AND AMSEC SPREAD CHEER THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Dec. 23, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) announced today that its Hampton Roads business units have partnered with local organizations to donate to those in need during the holiday season.

HII's Newport News Shipbuilding division and corporate office hosted a holiday food drive in partnership with the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank. From Nov. 24 through Dec. 12, employees collected 25,451 pounds of food and $7,400 that will help feed families during the winter season.

Employees at HII's AMSEC subsidiary also participated in holiday giving. At the Virginia Beach headquarters and at the NetCenter facility in Hampton, AMSEC employees collected toys to donate to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve's Toys for Tots campaign and to Carver Elementary School in Newport News. Employees also donated blankets, clothing, towels and toiletries to the Lighthouse Center, a homeless day program in Virginia Beach. For Thanksgiving, AMSEC collected canned goods and turkeys for the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore as part of its Mayflower Marathon weekend of giving.

In October, employees at AMSEC's Hawaii office also banded together to donate 69 pounds of food to the Hawaii Foodbank.

Add Your Heading Text HereIzzie Brown (second from right), principal of Carver Elementary School in Newport News, accepts donations from AMSEC employees (left to right) Dewey Stinson, Wayne Hunley, Pam Ponton and Kinsey Hall. AMSEC photo

"Year round, and especially during the holidays, we are encouraged to give back to our communities and to those in need," said Bill Ermatinger, HII's corporate vice president and chief human resources officer. "With these charitable donations and volunteer activities, we strive to build and support our communities. I'm proud to see the dedication and generosity of our employees."

The charity drives come on the heels of the annual campaign benefiting the United Way of the Virginia Peninsula. In November, Newport News Shipbuilding and HII's corporate office raised more than $2.1 million for the United Way between company and employee donations.