C&S Wholesale Grocers Information Services Team Inspired by Martin Luther King Day

Jan. 17, 2011 - PRLog -- Inspired by the ideals of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the goals of the MLK Day of Service/Technology Challenge, C&S Wholesale Grocers is providing volunteer technical
support to several nonprofit organizations. The Tech Challenge, a national effort to connect companies with nonprofits in need of technology, debuted last year as a component of the
MLK Day of Service.

“C&S considers employee volunteerism to be an important element of our corporate mission, and that includes lending our technology expertise to help nonprofits meet pressing social needs,” said Joe Caracappa, C&S Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer. “Leveraging our Information Systems team to provide pro bono technical services is an example of the kind of public-private partnership that we’re proud to lead at C&S,” he added.

Employees in C&S’ Information Services division at the company’s corporate headquarters are volunteering their skills and expertise with the following groups:

The Community Kitchen, Keene N.H.
Upgrading technology infrastructure to help the organization operate more efficiently on behalf of the more than 700 families served each week. C&S employees installed a new server and network cabinet with battery backup, upgraded the memory on the server, installed business class network hardware and wireless network access, removed improperly installed phone and data wiring and centralized data & voice cabling. The team will provide ongoing technical support to The Kitchen staff as needed. The Community Kitchen serves almost 1,000,000 hot meals each year and serves as a food pantry for the homeless and working poor in the Keene, N.H. area. It is an agency of the United Way, the NH Food Bank and part of the Feeding America network. C&S supports The Community Kitchen with food, funds and employees who regularly volunteer.

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, Ashford, Conn.
The team assessed the camp’s technical needs to improve the care and safety of the seriously ill children it serves.  An action plan is being developed which may include infrastructure improvements such as better wireless coverage, enhanced Internet connectivity and newer servers. The Camp provides year-round programming for more than 15,000 children diagnosed with cancer and other serious illnesses each year through its signature summer camp program, outreach program to hospitalized youngsters across the northeast and weekend programs for campers, families and caregivers. C&S supports the Camp through its annual Charity Golf Outing.

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About C&S
C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc. is a privately owned company with annual sales of $19 billion. The company is the 10th largest privately held company in the nation, as ranked by Forbes magazine. Founded in 1918, C&S provides distribution services to grocery chains and independent stores, delivering to approximately 4,600 locations from its distribution centers in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Vermont.

C&S community involvement programs support initiatives to stop hunger and to promote the health and enrichment of communities that are homes to the company's employees and facilities. To learn more: community.cswg.com.