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Page A6
November 7, 2007
BRACING for High Energy Costs
Staft member Chaun MacQueen
ization to society’s widespread re­ Bell says, “I, can be 30, 40 or 50
cautions,
however, that most
dollars
a
month
depending
on
how
alization that it could reduce gar­
people think upgraded windows
bage-hauling costs by recycling. your house is built."
will solve the problem, but forget
that most homes lose more energy
through ducts, fireplaces, and
poorly insulated walls, floors and
ceilings.
Many people can’t physically
make it to workshops or install
materials, so the Community En­
ergy Project has an outreach effort
for that population as well.
The Chief's Forum, a policy advisory group to the Portland Police
For 20 years now, the organiza­
Bureau's chief o f police, honors com m unity and Police Bureau members
tion and its volunteers have in­
stalled energy-saving materials in
who, through the ir exceptional performance o f com m unity policing
more than 2,500 homes of low-in­
activities, have distinguished themselves above and beyond the call of
come people who are over the age
du ty in the year 2006.
of 55 or have a disability.
“It’s a really helpful thing, espe­
Award Categories
cially for the seniors and people
Nathan Thomas Award • Community Policing Problem Solving Award
who are going through a tragedy,
Youth Recognition Certificate • Certificate of Appreciation
and they're learning how to save
•
money because they’re on a fixed
Deadline for nominations
income, and they really need some­
Monday, Nov. 19, 2007
one to come out and help,” says
Bell. Rees estimates that 428,000
Awards Ceremony
Oregonians lie on the brink of per­
Monday, Dec. 10, 2007
sonal energy crises.
9 a.m„ Portland Building Auditorium
The C om m unity Energy
Project’s
year-round effort goes
A w ard ca te g o ry d e scrip tio n s and n o m in a tio n fo rm s are available at
into the neighborhoods to imple­
w w w .p o rtla n d p o lic e .c o m . For m o re in fo rm a tio n , call 503-823-0264.
ment draft-stopping measures like
continued
from Front
Chief's Forum Awards
Nominate your
community heroes
Nationwide
could save you
over 500 bucks
on your car
insurance.
photos by
R aymond R endleman /T he P ortland O bserver
Lennetta Bell shows seniors the cost-saving benefits o f window-
weatherization techniques while volunteering for the Community
Energy Project, an organization with headquarters on Northeast
Alberta Street that provides free workshops and materials to low-
income residents throughout the Portland-metro area.
reusable, internally-mounted vinyl
storm-window kits that can roll up
for the summer, outlet and light-
switch gaskets, door weather strip­
ping and caulking to help people
lower heating bills, stay warm and
conserve energy.
“There are only four staff weath­
erizing .300 homes, so we definitely
rely on hundreds of volunteers to
help us every year, whether they ’ re
helping us in the office or helping
us out weatherizing, at community
tabling events or assembling these
kits," MacQueen says. “Of course
we’re always trying to fundraise
because the government grants
that come from the city cover only
that, but they don’t cover anything
else like a copier or stuff like that,
which we desperately need for fli-
ers and outreach.”
This struggle to survive reflects
the “typical nonprofit," according
to MacQueen, who is grateful for
the help this year from a partner­
ship with the Oregon Environmen­
tal Council to fund free oil-furnace
tune-ups.
Communityenergyproject.org
lists regular weatherization work­
shops. This week workshops will
take place Thursday, Nov. 8 from 5
to 7 p.m. at Woodlawn Elementary
School, 7200 N.E. 11th Ave., and
Saturday, Nov. 10 from 11 a.m. to 1
p.m. at the East Portland Commu-
nityCenter,740S.E. 106th Ave.Toi
register, call 503-284-6827, extend
sion 108.
For emergency heating assis-
tance,call2-l-l.
And you thought the paper
only printed bad news.
Community Energy Project staff organizer Chaun MacQueen
demonstrates how simple devices to insulate electrical outlets
can significantly reduce heating costs.
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1
from Front
uge, it was a springboard," he said,
A host ofother volunteers work-
ing a Homeless Feeding night at
Calvary, held Tuesdays and Thurs-
days, echoed those sentiments.
The church also finds homes for
people needing to get off the streets
and helps with job placement. Other
services include a clothes closet,
warm delectable meals cooked in
the Mallory Activity Community
Enrichment center's kitchen by
proven ch ef s Tracy and Michelle
Bell, shelter in the MACE center
dining hall and gymnasium use.
Perhaps most significant though
is the church's caring heart, listen-
ing ear and careful eye in the num-
her of volunteers that contribute to
make this community service a suc-
cess and perhaps a place where a
new start can begin.
Í