This week I wrote a piece on Honduras’ presidential election and produced ones on GM’s CEO resigning, the world’s reaction to Obama’s Afghanistan announcement, and the Swiss referendum to ban minarets.

The capstone project is set to run next week. We’re conducting a focus group today and getting ready to put together our final presentation.

Coming soon: an online portfolio. I’ve had a domain name and hosting service since October, but am just now making time to fight with Dreamweaver so I can complete the site itself. Should be up within the next week.

Now, my general policy with hybrids is “AVOID”. There’s plenty of evidence to suggest that they aren’t any good, but people keep buying them, and it sickens me. This is a bit different from your average hybrid though. It’s called the Capstone CMT 380, and it’s got 96 lithium-ion batteries doing the electric power, but instead of an internal combustion engine working with it, you get a biodiesel-powered micro-turbine, essentially a jet engine.

Pardon the lack of pictures, as it’s hard to find a good picture of it, but I’ll try and compensate with some details. The car has an electronically limited top speed of 150mph, which isn’t much, but it accelerates from 0-60 in just 3.9 seconds, which should be plenty.

The range is 80 miles on the battery, and 500 miles with the turbine. Capstone claims emissions are “ultra-low”, but no exact figures are available.

Capstone usually makes micro-turbines to power office blocks, which is where they’ve gotten the turbine from. The car itself was designed by Richard Hilleman though, a video games millionaire.

They plan to make 10 to 15 cars, each at a price of about 285,000 USD. They will probably be sold in kit car form.

Sounds interesting, but I’m still not too convinced. There aren’t enough details on it to judge.

Source: Autocar

Capstone is finally winding down, and the question comes to mind…was this really it?

Capstone Turbine’s latest electric concept car aims to simplify the concept of battery recharging.

Clean burning micro turbine charges batteries and extends car's range to 500 miles

Instead of pulling off the road to plug in and recharge the vehicle’s lithium polymer batteries, the CMT-380 fires up an on-board turbine that does the job on the fly.

The low-emissions turbine generator running on diesel or biodiesel fuel extends the car’s 80-mile battery range to 500 miles.

Capstone announced the sleek, Corvette-styled car on Monday and said it will debut at the Los Angeles auto show Dec. 2.

Capstone is a micro turbine maker and it designed the CMT-380 in conjunction with Electronic Arts Chief Creative Director Richard Hilleman.

The car is said to have a top speed of 150 miles per hour and acceleration that will take it from zero to 60 in 3.9 seconds. The emissions from the 30-kilowatt turbine are so clean they do not need to be treated with a catalytic converter, according to a press release.

Once at home, the car’s batteries can be plugged in to recharge. The company plans limited production run after measuring interest at the auto show.

Joanne Mecklem started volunteering with the Macdonald Center over 14 years ago, when it was still headquartered in the basement of the Downtown Chapel.

“I just think it’s a wonderful program. Father Berg started this by knocking on doors in Old Town. I think it’s wonderful. And now look what they have, it’s a miracle… When you think about what it started from, downstairs in [Downtown Chapel] on the corner.“

 
Q: What initially attracted you to volunteering?

Joanne: …An interim pastor at a church… gave this sermon on compassion and what it really means to be compassionate. It means that, in his view and I agree, we’re always compassionate with people we know and care about but it’s the people we don’t know that are harder to show compassion to. He really inspired me so I talked to him and he said “You’ve got to go down to the Macdonald Center.” He knew Mary Sue and he’d been volunteering at the Old Town Clinic many years. So that’s how it happened. I came down here and talked to Mary Sue. I said “I have no experience with this,” and she said “Well, all you have to be is a friend and listen to the stories”, and that was it.

 
Q: What’s been the most satisfying aspect of volunteering?

Joanne: Probably getting to know some of these people that you would never ordinarily know and hearing their stories. How they touch your lives and how you feel like you’ve made maybe some friends or a difference… it’s mostly what you experience I think.

 
Q: What advice would you give to those who are considering volunteering, especially at the Macdonald center?

Joanne: Oh, just don’t be judgmental. Just be open to hear a story and don’t try to preach. Just listen… they really just want to share their stories. Be a good listener and try to smile….

 
Q: What’s your most memorable experience from visiting?

Joanne: I’ll never forget one year I brought in cookies at Christmas time. I just had gotten energetic and baked some extra Christmas things and took them down to some of the people I call on. I always remember [one man] going “Oh, thank you! Merry Christmas!”, and all the way down the stairs…”Thank you, Joanne, Merry Christmas!” I don’t know, it just was so sweet. And he used to collect things… he collected all kinds of things. You know, like coins you’d send for in the paper. He started collecting these chocolate cars, you know the replica cars, and he put them in his freezer and about two weeks later I was there again and asked “How about those cars?” He goes “Well, you know, I ate ‘em.” I just thought it was so funny because he was going to save these cars in his freezer.

(c) 2009 J. Batten/Protected Content

“… It changes you… and you’re not afraid when you’re walking down the street. You’re not afraid to look at somebody and smile or say hello, whereas before you kind of [avert your eyes] and I think that’s one of the things that homeless people say the most that is the hardest. That people don’t look at them“.


 

 

By Michelle Keller

Alex is originally from Puerto Rico and began working with the homeless in both New York and Miami 15 years ago. Today, he continues to fulfill his passion for helping others at the Macdonald Center.

Q: What initially attracted you to volunteering at the MacDonald Center?

Alex: I have been working for the homeless for like 15 years. So I have been doing a lot of work and I selected that because I enjoy working with that population. You know, it’s like the people that when you pass by you don’t notice. They ask you for money and you turn around. It’s like they’re invisible. You know, they are not really there. I wanted to help them so, I just wanted to be there for them and I did the Macdonald Center because of that. And I ended up getting more from them than they from me.

Q: What did you gain from these people? Can you tell me more about that?

Alex: Being humble and they’re smarter than people think they are. (There are) doctors that are homeless, (there are) teachers that are homeless, and (there are) policemen that are homeless. They run into something like a bump or something, maybe they got a divorce or they started using drugs or something and they end up homeless but they’re smart, they’re smart.

Q: So you think that’s a problem, the stereotypes, like they’re stupid? What do you think the most prevalent stereotypes about homeless are?

Alex: Oh yeah definitely. Some of them have some mental problems but they’re still human beings I think, I don’t think, I know. They’re homeless because they’re lazy, that’s one of the stereotypes. They don’t want to get work, all this stuff. The problem with that is they don’t have an address. It’s hard for them to get a job without an address it’s hard for them to get a job without clean clothes. It’s not easy and as soon as you mention you are homeless people think they’re not stable enough to maintain a job.

Q: Can you tell me a story or about a positive experience in working with the homeless?

Alex: Every day is a positive experience for me. Every day I hear something new from somebody. (There was a client who) it was like amazing when we used to go and talk to him he used to pour his heart out and talk to the team. He used to tell us stories about restaurants he had been in New York and places he had been in London and other places so I learned a lot of stuff from him. I can’t pinpoint one thing… But I love working there, I love talking to people I love the way they talk to you and uh, you learn so much stuff from them, unbelievable.

Q: So you feel like you have built some important relationships with them?

Alex: Yeah. Not only that, the client, they build relationships with us. I had another partner before the one I got now and the person left and never came back and never (said good bye), they (the clients) like closure…and there was a client who was saying he (the former volunteer) didn’t love them because he left without saying anything and saying maybe it was her fault he left…You would be surprised how much they appreciate you.

Q: What advice would you give to anyone that was considering volunteering in the future with the Macdonald center?

Alex: Just try it, just try it. Go see how it feels to go and talk to somebody. They live in a space the size of a parking space. One of the clients I talk to told me they only come out of that for like three hours a day so if they get somebody to talk to its like therapy I think…Its tough for them to be alone in the place, they are afraid to go out.

Q: Is there anything in particular about your experience you would want people to know about the center or homeless people in general?

Alex: They care about a lot of people. They (have) a different way of caring about people but they care a lot, they help a lot.

By Nicole Rukaveno

Colleen Seed is a retired elementary school teacher and head of social services at St Cecilia Church. Colleen has been volunteering actively since 1995.

“I think volunteering makes a difference. And you can actually see that when you’re out there in the trenches, what a difference it does make. A lot of times, there’s more that everyone can do. Volunteering is very rewarding and I think it’s great for the youth to get involved. It makes a difference in how you value human life”

(c) 2009 J. Batten/Protected Content

Talking about birthday parties at the SROs:

Colleen: You get to know them (the residents) and you see that they show up to get the treats. We do that too (show up at places for free things). That’s a good thing for the people who are isolated, it gets them to come out and socialize.

 
Talking about memorial services and most memorable events:

Colleen: When somebody dies, usually a staff member of the MacDonald center would go to the hotel and will do a little transitional talk. That’s pretty impressive…It’s really impressive because you never know. You could be in their spot tomorrow.

 
Q: Is there an event that you find the most memorable?

Colleen: Then there are happy ones (memories) too, like the picnics. They’re really rewarding. You’re looking over 100 people and they’re having a lunch or sitting out in the sun and relaxing and they don’t have to listen to the noise of the city. They breathe some fresh air. There’s a river that you can walk down to, and it’s very rewarding and memorable to see all those people and (knowing) that we have a little part of it. It’s really a happy feeling…

 

Q: What do you think has been one of the more difficult aspects of volunteering?

Colleen:Time. I’m involved in a lot because like I said, I’m the head of social services…It can get overwhelming. Sometimes, you have things on your calendar, and then you have to give those up because the demand is there. I probably tend to do that more than others. Juggling I think is the hardest thing.

 
Q: What would you say is your most rewarding experience of volunteering?

Colleen: This is very true, that you get more out of it than you give. It’s a very satisfying feeling, to see the difference you can make in people’s lives. I’m currently involved in Rose Haven, which is a drop-in shelter for ladies. I met the supervisor at the MacDonald Center when I was volunteering there and she was starting Rose Haven (at the moment). You take clothes in, and the ladies come and they walk out with the clothes you brought that day. Another thing they do is they serve food. You could visit with them. If you go there often enough they recognize you and they call you by your name. It’s also nice to meet other volunteers too. It’s nice to meet new friends. It’s just very satisfying to see what a difference you make in their life. The supervisor is dedicated and they have fundraisers so we get involved in that too.

 

Q: What advice would you give to those considering volunteering in hospitality programs or at the MacDonald Center?

Colleen: Well it’s a time commitment. You have to have the time. You have to feel comfortable in situations and there are all types of volunteering, of course. You have to do something that interests you. Of course you have to have the desire to do it. You have to like people. It’s an education. Because I feel that I come from a pretty sheltered life, I have a close family and here in Beaverton you don’t see a lot, although it’s getting more so. You have the homeless, people that need help, especially in this economic time. When you have security and a roof over your head and food on the table, and clothes to wear and a job or an income or whatever, you know it’s the other side of the fence.

 

 

By Abril Burciaga

Interview 11/2/2009 at 9:30am

“…..Over the years [it] gave to me a very special standing; the fact that the folks who are poor or on the streets or whatever their background is they come from families. And so I was able to….have an opportunity to then go into this volunteer work with a sense of these are my brothers and sisters. They all just have different stories“

 
Q: What got you started/why did you start volunteering?

MaryEllen:    I think what is really motivational for me was when my husband and I started going to the downtown chapel. We had not been part of any religious institutions since we were young people since we left home. We were both brought up Catholic and had kind of, you know, left going to a regular church and then started exploring the idea of returning to that and trying to find a place that we fit. And actually the first time we went to the Downtown Chapel we both walked out looking at each other saying “This is it. This is home.” It was just automatic. And they had a lot of programs. And it wasn’t that that inspired us to go there. It was a real message of compassion and love and caring without the proselytizing that you often hear going along with it.

Q: What is one of your most memorable experiences, like when you think of volunteering what are some memories or feelings that pop into your head?

MaryEllen:    One that I will never forget is Joe. She is now in a wheelchair. When I met her she wasn’t in a wheelchair yet. She has cerebral palsy. When her mother died, her father remarried and ended up putting her in Damish, a mental institution in Salem. When she was 14, she was put in this institution and because she had cerebral palsy and a speech impediment they assumed she was mentally retarded. So for a long time she didn’t talk. Well, finally when they closed Damish, she got out and she is just a dynamic woman. I have gotten to know her and I gave you a little bit of her history because she has quite a speech impediment. But this woman would go down to the Portland Police Department by their invitation to teach them how to deal with people with disabilities that they might encounter or pick up or, you know, think someone is drunk when they are not drunk; they just have a disorder. Anyway, so she helped in the Salem are get curbs put into the sidewalk. Well anyway, my husband and I, she lives at Macdonald Residence. Before she lived there she used to be a volunteer at Hospitality but I personally got to know her as a resident at Macdonald’s Residence. And she was part of the women’s group, so I really got to know her even more. And she also, on occasion, well, on a pretty regular basis goes to the Downtown Chapel.

I have got to know her very personally, and my husband has too. And because she taught us how to listen to a person with a speech impediment and because she had the patience like I have never met and explained “I do not care how many time you have to say ‘What?’ what I want is for you to understand what I’m saying. And so I can say “What?” 20 times and it doesn’t bug her. And she’ll get it to me finally. And so she taught my husband that too…..so when my husband’s mother had a brain cancer/tumor in her brain and she went and had surgery and ended up having a stroke and right away had this terrible speech impediment after that. The rest of the family…..couldn’t understand what she was saying and people get very uncomfortable with that…but because my husband had got to know Joe like I had, he would say “What mom? What?” and he’d keep asking her until she garbled it out and he could understand what she said. So we told Joe “Joe, because of you we were able to understand his mother after she had a stroke.” She [referring to mother-in-law] died a few months after that, but I mean, that’s pretty memorable to me what I got out of being a volunteer and my husband, who totally supports the idea of me doing volunteer work whenever I can and getting involved as much as he can…it’s what’s it’s brought into our personal lives is very rich.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to tell me in general, like experiences or feelings or anything I haven’t asked about?

MaryEllen: Um, well, I would say that doing volunteer work and having the opportunity to enrich my life….that it has added so much richness and diversity to my life because to me being involved with people in all economic situations and is like living in a world with rainbows and colors or in a world where if you want ice cream you can have all these different kinds versus just vanilla; versus just one color. It’s a much richer and fuller world to have…..And I think when you do volunteer work in these downtown communities and such, and especially if they are places like the Downtown Chapel and Macdonald Residence and Sisters of the Road it’s like what they’re doing is building community.

By Jenny McAllister

Rosemary is a long time volunteer at the Downtown Chapel, who is passionate about homeless issues and has so much love for the Chapel and her fellow volunteers.

 
How were you connected to the Downtown Chapel?

Rosemary: When I first moved to Portland I lived in North Portland and my parish was Holy Redeemer. And the church bulletin had a notice in it that the downtown chapel was looking for volunteers. A couple of months before that I had read a book called the “The monk in the world” it was about a monk who lived in a monastery who lived a very quiet life and then he decided to go out into world, where he felt he could do more for people; He decided that he wanted to help the homeless. This book was about his experience working with the homeless. And in my previous work I was a visiting a nurse in Brooklyn and we had to deal with a lot of the street people. I was not uncomfortable with the thought of homelessness, so I thought this is something that I have a clue about. So I came down. I think I have been here around six years now.

 
Discussing the role the Chapel plays in Rosemary’s life:

Rosemary: This place is very valuable in my life, because the people that I met here have become my very good friends in Portland; they are people I feel very comfortable with. People who have come here to volunteer have to be somewhat good hearted people and they have to be motivated and for the most part just very nice and helpful. They are not judgmental people.

 
Is there one memory that stands out the most while volunteering at the Downtown Chapel?

Rosemary: One of the stories that I can think of is about a young man and his cat. I became quite friendly with this young guy who was living in the woods with his cat for a number of years. Through some families very benevolence they helped him to get his ID, they knew some place that was hiring and they helped him to get a job. You can’t go to work living in the woods… He also helped three days a week and would help with the art program and the food bags. He was part of our community at the Chapel. His family was very impressed by his work ethic and he never had any issues with drugs or anything, he had lost his job and then eventually his house. This particular family and a member of the Parish helped him with rent until he got started; different people gave him household items such as a TV, couches… Different people gave different items to help. And he is doing great; I always knew he would do great because he is a great person. The donations were anonymous but the generosity of this family and the Parish as well as the regular volunteers of the chapel are so extreme and helped out tremendously. To me it was the utmost generosity. And that speaks to the people around here. Even people involved with the chapel that don’t have much to give, give what they can, everyone here is so generous.

I mean look what, long time volunteer, Thomas does. Every week he bakes from scratch. He brings food every Monday, large platters of whatever he has baked on Sunday. Every item he bakes he puts in the physical energy and the love and to me he is so amazing. People who come through here are truly very special people they look out for each other, they care for each other. When something is going on they all pray for one another.

 
Do you have anything else that you want to say to potential volunteers of the chapel?

Rosemary: I would say just come and try it. I would say to come and be here and try and come and be open, you never know what you’re going to find here. Sometimes you find really sad things, negative stuff, but you find a lot of stories that are very heartening.

A lot of good stuff happens here, and a lot of the guests volunteer and help out when necessary. The volunteers are very good to each other they are very supportive. There is a spirit that is among the volunteers. I think that if people are open to new things they would find it very interesting. I think that anyone who is judgmental would not do well here. But most people would. And they would find a very pleasant supportive community among the volunteers.

 

 

By Rachel Jarvis

A volunteer for only 1 ½ years, Patricia “Patty” Scott has been involved with the Macdonald Ctr. Outreach for even longer.

“Volunteer services here [are] great. They make different birthday cakes for different apartments and stuff with the handicapped and I do the birthday cards. They always find that one certain person, you know….and to be honest, I don’t know what I would do without the MacDonald Center…it’s a great place. And If I’m feeling depressed, I know where to come. ‘Cause these people, I don’t care what they do, they can make you laugh over anything“

 

(c) 2009 J. Batten/Protected Content

Q: “…You said your name was Patricia Scott, people call you “Patty” and I was just asking you what got you into volunteering [with the MacDonald Center]…”

Patricia:    There used to be a nun here…Mary Catherine. She’s the one that really got me in here. And then there’s a little old lady that comes in here…her name is Catherine we kind of adopted each other years ago when her husband passed away. She knew me when I was down at my lowest in my addiction…she knew me when I was straight and when I relapsed. And I started coming here and feeling comfortable with the place. I know a few people here that I knew before I started coming in here. To see them smile when I walk in the door…it makes me feel great, you know they all wanna give me a hug and I give them a hug. I really like it here, they’ve all been really great….real patient with me when I’m sick—they don’t want me around, not because they don’t want me around, it’s because they want me to get better. And they worry if they don’t hear from me. So if I don’t call in two days, they’ll call me. I like coming in here and doing volunteer work. It makes me feel like I am doing something for others instead of just looking out for myself…or suggest something to read. I love that, that makes me feel good because everybody in here knows I am a chronic bookworm. I read, like, three-to-four books a day.

There was/is an old man here named Bob that…he’s real standoffish. But now he talks to me, it took me a year for the man to even say ‘hi’ to me. Now he talks to me. He always says ‘good morning’ to me, ‘how’s work going?’ or when I’m leaving he’ll say “I hope you have a good day and a nice week.” Before, he wouldn’t say a word to me, or he’d say, “Why don’t you get your scum-ass outta here.” Someone told me, that’s a miracle because he doesn’t talk to hardly anybody.

 
Q: What could you share with people to encourage those whom are considering volunteering?

Patricia:    …It opens their eyes to things they really need to open their eyes to…quit closing them. Volunteering gives you a sense of worth, you know. A sense of belonging somewhere. I used to think I didn’t belong anywhere. I can come here and know I am welcome and wanted and I belong. That’s a good feeling.

 

 

By Jayse Batten