Whelen in the Community!

Giving back to and connecting with the communities where we live and work makes us happy! Here’s what we’ve been up to recently.

Firehouse Food Drive a Huge Success!
The 10th Annual Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries (SSKP) Fire Department Food Drive took place on April 9th and Whelen employees gave generously to the cause. Kim Mills, Production Control Coordinator, and Gwen Johnson, MRO Purchasing Agent, coordinated food collection efforts at the Chester Hose Company and onsite at Whelen headquarters in Connecticut. Whelen has supported SSKP for many years and this is the 10th year of participating in the Fire Department Food Drive. “This year’s collection was a huge success,” said Mills. “More than 572 pounds of food were collected between Whelen and the Chester Hose Co., and 7,000 pounds total were collected from participating fire departments in surrounding towns,” she added.
SSKP provides food for five pantries in eleven towns, and in 2021 distributed over 1.5 million pounds of food and served 127,978 people. “We are grateful for the generous contributions received from Whelen employees,” said Claire Bellerjeau, Director of Development and Outreach at SSKP. “Thank you to everyone who donated! Your contributions will make a real difference in the lives of many!” she added. For more information on SSKP, visit their website at ShorelineSoupKitchens.org.

McCook Point Touch-a-Truck
On May 21st Whelen participated in the McCook Point Touch-a-Truck event in East Lyme, CT to support the Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut (CFA). The educational and interactive experience allowed kids to climb and touch various trucks from local law enforcement, fire departments, and industrial companies. “This was the first year that Whelen sponsored the Touch-a-Truck event,” said Preston Tischer, a Product Manager for Whelen who volunteered at the event. “It was wonderful to see all of the families that came out to explore the vehicles we had on display,” he added.

The children were excited to interact with all the lights and sirens on the vehicles, but their most favorite activity appeared to be playing with the Arges® Remote Spotlight. “It was fun to see how eager the kids were to learn about the products that we manufacture just thirty minutes away from where they were standing,” said Tischer. \

Stephen Sullivan, one of our Emergency Vehicle Installers also in attendance said, “I’m proud to be here representing Whelen. It’s an honor to work for a company that supports important agencies, like CFA, which provides invaluable services to the local community.” Click HERE to learn more about the Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut, and we hope to see you at next year’s Touch-a-Truck event!

Connecticut Law Enforcement Torch Run
Excitement was in the air on June 1st as employees gathered at our Chester, CT facility for a special send-off to the runners and law enforcement officers participating in the 2022 Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) for Special Olympics Connecticut. This year marked the 36th anniversary of the torch making its way through the State, and we were thrilled to continue our support of the event. The LETR raises money and awareness for the Special Olympics and inspires athletes to believe that anything is possible. Connecticut’s NBC affiliate was onsite covering the story which you can watch here: Law Enforcement Torch Run Across Connecticut Begins – NBC Connecticut