Can Challenge offers plenty of food

MIDDLETOWN — Consulting Engineering Services Inc. of Middletown recently donated nearly 12,712 food items to help feed those in need. The Can Challenge program started in 1997 and is open to all departments within the company. To date, over 100,000 cans have been collected by CES employees. The winning department, Team STM/RDD, was chosen by dividing the number of cans collected by the number of employees. Approximately 199 cans per person were collected with 64 employees participating.

CES employees get caught up in the spirit of competition and help people in need at the same time. There is a rivalry between the teams to see which group can collect the most food and ultimately help the most people. It’s a tradition started a long time ago to support the local community, event organizers said.

“It’s a great help to those in need in Middletown,” said Lieutenant Jose Hernandez, Corps Officer of The Salvation Army in Middletown. The need for food pantry items has increased significantly. The food was picked up by The Salvation Army and will be distributed through the food pantry on Main Street in Middletown.

Consulting Engineering Services is a 100+ person firm with offices in CT, MA, FL, NY and TX, that specializes in mechanical, electrical, fire protection and plumbing engineering services for analysis, design, and construction administration. It also offers services such as technology and security design, communications solutions and systems commissioning. Cantorum, Inc., CDE (Chester, Deep River, Essex) Cooperative Nursery School, Chester Historical Society, The Chester Hose Company Incorporated, Chester Land Trust, Common Good Gardens, Inc., Community Music School, Connecticut Cancer Foundation, Inc., The Connecticut River Museum at Steamboat Dock, The Country School, Inc., Deep River Ambulance Association, Inc., Deep River Elementary School PTO, Inc, Deep River Fire Department, Inc., Deep River Historical Society, Inc., Deep River Junior Ancient Fife & Drum Corps, Inc., Dog Days Adoption Events, Inc., E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, Madison, Essex Community Fund, Inc., Essex Land Trust, Inc., The Essex Library Association, Inc., Essex Winter Series, Estuary Council of Seniors, Inc. - Meals on Wheels, Forgotten Felines, Inc., Friends In Service Here, Friends of Hammonasset, Inc., Friends of the Chester Public Library, Inc., Friends of the Essex Library, High Hopes Therapeutic Riding, Inc., Homeward Bound Adoptions CT, Inc., Infinite Strength, Inc., Ivoryton Library Association, Ivoryton Playhouse Foundation, Inc., Ivoryton Village Alliance, The Katherine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, Inc. (The Kate), Literacy Volunteers Valley Shore, CT, Inc., Lyme Ambulance Association, Inc., The Lyme Fire Company, Inc., Lyme Land Conservation Trust, Inc., Lyme Public Hall & Local History Archives, Inc., Lymes' Youth Service Bureau, Madison Ambulance Association, Inc., Maritime Education Network, Inc., MusicNow Foundation, Inc, Old Lyme Historical Society, Inc., Old Lyme Land Trust, Inc., Old Lyme-Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library Association, Old Lyme Visiting Nurse Association, Inc., Old Saybrook Fire Company Number One, Inc., Old Saybrook Historical Society, Old Saybrook Land Trust, Inc., Pandemonium Rainforest Project, Inc., Pay Forward, Inc., Region 4 Education Foundation, Ruth Ann Heller Music Foundation, Inc., SARAH, Inc., Simply Sharing, Inc., Sister Cities Essex Haiti, Inc., Tait's Every Animal Matters, Tri-Town Youth Services Bureau, Inc., Valley Baseball-Softball Booster Club, Inc., Valley Shore Animal Welfare League, Valley Shore YMCA, Visiting Nurses of the Lower Valley, Inc., Vista Life Innovations, Inc., Westbrook Project Graduation, Inc., Westbrook Youth and Family Services, Inc.