NORWICH – Winter is upon us, and with gasoline and heating costs increasing all the time, there are many in Chenango County who have to choose between buying gas and buying food. Many of Chenango County’s food pantries see an increased number of consumers in the winter months, and Catholic Charities wants to make sure that there is always food available for those in need, so last week they reintroduced a competition challenging businesses to compete to see who could collect the most food.

Last week’s Shopping Cart Challenge pitted the Raymond Corporation, with a total of nearly 1,000 employees, against Community Workshop Shelter ARC, with a total of only 300 employees. Shopping carts were placed in the lobbies of each business, and employees were challenged to bring in as much food as possible to help those in need.

On Monday, Catholic Charities Program Coordinator Dan Valla announced the results. At the end of the week, the goods were weighed. The Raymond Corporation collected 528 pounds of food, and there challenger CWS, collected 883 pounds of food.