Good morning !

It's the latest and greatest news from Sisters Of The Road! Here's what you'll find in this issue:

We Challenge You to a Match

Beloved Sisters' Co-Founder to Retire

Congratulations Wolf From The Door

Hygiene and Toy Drives Arrive

Thanks for the Good Time, Pardners

Have a great weekend, and we hope to see you Saturday at our Birthday Party.

We Challenge You to a Match!

Holiday Matching Grant Challenge is underway

New Donor Match: Generous grants of $15,000 from the Rose E. Tucker Charitable Trust, $15,000 from the Oregon Community Foundation, and $30,000 from the Collins Foundation are providing a 1:1 NEW donor match this November and December! NEW donors will also be matched 50 cents on the dollar by a generous pool of individuals and businesses during these months. This means a NEW donor's gift of $100 will become $250 (matched one and a half times!) To receive the NEW donor match, Sisters must receive at least $60,000 in gifts by midnight on December 31st, 2009!

All returning Sisters donors will also be matched throughout November and December 50 cents for each dollar donated. A $100 donation by a returning donor will become a $150 donation!

Nearly 50% of Sisters' annual revenue is received during November and December, and most of our gifts are from generous individual donors like you! The Matching Grant Campaign is a crucial time to support our fellow community members, people who live in extreme poverty and/or homelessness. Our goal this year is to raise $270,000 - please join us! 

Donate securely online; call us at (503) 222-5694 ext. 12; or mail your check to 133 NW 6th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97209. The
challenge ends midnight on December 31st, so hurry and get your donation in today ~ thank you!

Beloved Sisters' Co-Founder to Retire

We'll Miss You Genny!

Thirty years after helping to found Sisters Of The Road, co-founder Genny Nelson is retiring. Genny's steadfast dedication to nonviolence and gentle personalism has shaped Sisters' philosophy and everyday operations, and meaningfully affected the thousands of people who visit Sisters each year.

Genny has won numerous awards, including the 2005 National Caring Award. Genny has also been a personal friend and mentor to thousands, including public leaders, school children and Sisters' staff, volunteers & customers. Genny leaves a legacy at Sisters and in the community of loving compassion, community organizing and the absolute necessity of building authentic relationships. Genny has often said, "Sisters is profoundly about love." 

In lieu of flowers, Genny asks that people make a contribution to Sisters Of The Road, the organization she helped found and develop and the community she continues to love.

Please join us Saturday, December 12th from 3 to 6 pm in the Cafe to give thanks for and celebrate the vision and work of Genny Nelson at Sisters and in our whole community. 

Congratulations Wolf From The Door 

Spirit of Portland strikes again

Last year, Sisters Of The Road was awarded the Spirit of Portland award as one of two top non-profits. This year, the great young people of Wolf From The Door are being honored with a 2009 Spirit of Portland Award for Youth! The Wolf From The Door fundraiser has been put on annually since 2004 by Ruth Carr, Elena and Sophia DeLeonibus, and an amazing group of other dedicated elementary school-aged young people who plan, cook and serve the whole meal as a benefit for Sisters Of The Road.

Wolf From The Door will be honored with the other recipients at an evening ceremony on November 12th at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts. Read about all the winners at Portland Online. Notes of congratulations can be sent to wolffromthedoor@gmail.com. Congratulations to this amazing group of young people!

Hygiene and Toy Drives Arrive

Personalist Center changes make for limited hygiene scope

Sisters' annual winter hygiene drive will happen this year, but with changes reflecting the PC's shifting focus from direct service to systemic change. Our hygiene program is now limited to items that are needed urgently, but are difficult to come by from other organizations. Sisters is happy to accept and distribute all of the following items:

• infant diapers (size 3 and up are most needed)
• baby wipes
• maxi pads and tampons
• adult diapers and bladder control pads
• condoms

This winter's drive has a special focus on infant diapers and wipes. Sizes 3-6 are most desirable. For families struggling to meet basic needs, diapers are among the most expensive items in their budgets.

If you have hygiene supplies not listed above to donate, click here for a list of alternative donation sites.

Our toy drive runs November through December, with toy distribution the week before Christmas. Parents or guardians do not need to be living with their children to be eligible, but must complete a simple verification form in person at the Personalist Center to receive gifts. Parent sign ups begin Monday, November 16th.

All toys for the Toy Drive should be new and unwrapped, and must be received by Friday, December 18th. Donations of wrapping paper are also welcome. For more information on giving or receiving holiday toys, including most requested toys, please visit our website.

Thanks for a Heck of a Good Time, Pardners!

Over 300 Sisters supporters gathered at the Portland Art Museum on Friday, October 23. They danced to the fine tunes of Casey Neill & The Norway Rats and Uncle Earl, engaged in friendly bidding on great auction packages, and celebrated 30 years of Sisters Of The Road. Check out a video of Christine Appleberry clogging with Uncle Earl!

A huge thank you to everyone who attended, all our dedicated volunteers who helped in planning and at the event, all the generous donors to the auction, our auctioneer Johnna Wells, our Emcee Judith Rizzio, and all our sponsors: Survey Monkey, Greenbrier Company, US Bank, Forest Park Federal Credit Union, OnPoint Credit Union, ODS Companies, Fred Meyer, Northwest Resource Federal Credit Union, Everett Street Autoworks, Stan & Dixie Bland, James Ray Benear & Jacquelyn Ann Barretta, Les Schwab, and print sponsors Owen Jones and Clint Gorthy of Authaus. We couldn't have done it without each and every one of you!

Don't Forget! Our Birthday is Tomorrow 

We hope we'll see you at Sisters Of The Road's 30th Birthday Party tomorrow! It's being held Saturday, 11am to 4pm in Sisters' Cafe and Personalist Center, 133 NW 6th Avenue, Portland. Stop by for a slice of cake and 30 years of history!