Volunteer Profile: 

Project Champion Nate Carter

This is the first in a series of interviews with AWB-Oregon volunteers. Recently AWB-Oregon sat down with Nate Carter at the Northeast Portland offices of Eleven Engineering & Design, where he is a principal. Carter answered questions about his first-time experience as a Project Champion, leading AWB's work with the Northeast Emergency Food Program (NEFP) which provides groceries to more than 500 Portland families each month. Working with Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, Carter and AWB team members Kim Olson of Soderstrom Architects and Nan Kambhu, a recent graduate of University of Oregon's master of architecture program, developed a plan to improve a gravel side yard at Luther Memorial Church. Elements of the plan include a covered, heated "market-style" plaza for distribution of fresh produce and bread, an area for unloading food donations, and an expanded vegetable garden.

Last month's joint charrette with Engineers Without Borders yielded preliminary design ideas for a school in Debre Birhan, Ethopia. Funded by The Community Project (www.communityproject.org.), the school's 20 classrooms will house 500 K-8 students at a time. Charrette participants looked at issues of daylighting, wall space, doors and windows, and natural ventilation.