December 13, 2011 – This holiday season, U.S. Engineering supported the fight against hunger with a canned food drive that benefitted each region’s local food bank. The two-week food drive began on November 11th and prompted a friendly inter-office competition – whichever region collected the most food got a write-up in the company newsletter and bragging rights for a year.  The company-wide effort resulted in a collection of 11,363 pounds of food.

Regional Breakdown

Colorado – 7,248 lbs. – 80 people – 90.60 lbs. per person

Kansas City – 2,816 lbs. – 146 people - 19.29 lbs. per person

Tennessee – 823 lbs. – 77 people – 10.69 lbs. per person

Mid Atlantic – 476 lbs. – 8 people – 57 lbs. per person

While the Colorado office took home first place, the true winners were the hungry people that benefitted directly from the food donations. According to Feeding America, one pound of food provides approximately four meals.  That means U.S. Engineering provided more than 45,000 meals to local individuals and families in need.

The USDA states that 1 in 6 Americans suffer from hunger, which equates to nearly 49 million Americans not getting enough food (32.6 million adults and 16.2 million children). The local organizations that benefitted from U.S. Engineering’s donations include:  Kansas City: Harvesters, City Union Mission, Catholic Charities, Avondale, and Kansas City Social Services; Colorado: the Food Bank for Larimer County; Tennessee: The Well in Spring Hill; and Mid Atlantic: The Children’s Inn at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, MD.

This food drive supports U.S. Engineering’s culture of community engagement. The company believes that they have an obligation and a responsibility to undertake issues affecting their local communities, specifically in the interests of children and families.  U.S. Engineering plans to continue the food drive each year to help deliver happiness and health during the holidays.