'Sisters' Kicks Off 30th Anniversary Campaign

To honor the 30th anniversary of its founding, Sisters Of The Road has kicked off a campaign to collect one thousand $30 contributions by Sisters' birthday in November 2009.
Sisters was founded on Nov. 7, 1979. Our three original goals remain unchanged: to be a safe and welcoming environment to everyone, especially women and children; to offer nourishing meals at little cost or in exchange for work; and to provide job training and employment experience to local residents.
Sisters Of The Road emerged from hundreds of hours of conversations with residents of Portland's Old Town Chinatown Neighborhood by co-founders Genny Nelson and Sandy Gooch. They found that women did not feel safe in the neighborhood, and nearly all had experienced violence. Nelson and Gooch were determined to create a public place in Old Town that would be safe for all people, and where warm, healthy meals were served in an atmosphere of dignity and nonviolence.
Since 1979, tens of thousands of individuals and families living in poverty in Portland have found good food, hospitality, community and friendship within the doors of Sisters' non-profit Cafe. Sisters not only serves hundreds of nutritious, hot meals each day, but also works collectively to eradicate poverty and homelessness at a deep and lasting level. 
The $30,000 raised by the 30th Anniversary Campaign will help sustain Sisters crucial work through an economically difficult year. While contributions are down, demand for meals in Sisters' Cafe is up by about 25 meals per day, and an increasing number of customers are families with children. If everyone who was able donated $30 for our 30th Anniversary we would be financially secure for 2009 and heading into the future.
Visit them online at www.sistersoftheroadcafe.org. Visit them in person at 133 NW Sixth Ave. in Portland or call 503-222 -5694.