enlarge Photo courtesy of John Carmichael

Portland Arts and Technology High School students John-Micheal Difiore and Nik Swormstedt work on a vehicle donated to the program. Profits from the sale of a Toyota Camry benefited the Open Door Kitchen, an effort of the First Baptist Church in Westbrook.

WESTBROOK — Students in the Portland Arts and Technology High School automotive program repaired a car last spring and donated the profit of the sale to the Open Door Kitchen in Westbrook Oct. 17.

The $1,200 check First Baptist Church Pastor Rich Gustufson received on behalf of the kitchen will help the program serve free monthly meals to about 100 Westbrook residents.

After Gustufson's sermon more than a year ago encouraging the church to address the needs of the community, church members Denise Carmichael, Diane Radley, Mary O'Brien and Vicki McKinley approached him about offering meals to struggling families. They previously had volunteered at the Preble Street Soup Kitchen, and Denise Carmichael said they wanted to bring a similar resource to Westbrook. Since then, the dinners have gone from serving 20 people to 100.

"It's very rewarding," Carmichael said. "It's an incredible sight. If they came in hungry, at least this night we know we made a difference and they're leaving full."

She said the meals, with donations of food from church members, cost about $220 monthly. With the holidays coming and larger meals planned, she said, the donation from the students was perfectly timed.

"It's a great outreach to the community," Gustufson said. "There are families in Westbrook who need this. It helps them. One meal a month is not going to make that big a dent, but they come every month because they do need assistance."

And not only is the program helping members of the community, it is providing an outlet for service. Gustufson said the kitchen has received help and monetary donations from non-church members.

The donation from the students is just one example. John Carmichael, instructor at Portland Arts and Technology High School, said the automotive students have been donating profits of car sales to various community organizations for nearly 10 years.

In the spring when they brainstormed where they would like to donate the profits, Carmichael said they all "felt (the kitchen) was the best thing."

Students in the program worked on repairing a Toyota Camry, and then put it out to bid. With nearly 60 students in the two-year program, Carmichael said there were probably about four or five students working on this particular vehicle.

The program aims to teach students career skills and encourages them to pursue further education or careers in the automotive field.

Carmichael said they work on cars that are donated, purchased at a low cost or brought in by students, teachers or even people off the street. The students conduct normal repairs, learn how to switch out the transmission, complete a brake job, adjust steering, suspension and alignment, and anything else that may come up.

Senior John-Michael Difiore said the program has been an outlet for him to explore his interest in cars.

"I like the satisfaction of knowing I got the job done by fixing it myself," he said.

And giving money to a local organization is a bonus.

"What we're doing is having fun and learning something," Difiore said. "Then giving back to the community and helping them. It's a two birds with one stone type of thing."

The Open Door Kitchen is held from 5 to 6 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month at First Baptist Church, 733 Main St., Westbrook.

Staff Writer Emma Bouthillette can be contacted at 791-6325 or at: ebouthillette@pressherald.com