Please join us in welcoming Willie Baptist as the keynote speaker of our 15th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. march and rally, Room For All In The World House: Continuing King’s Vision of Economic Human Rights for All!

On Monday January 15, 2007 at 2pm we will begin gathering at Sisters (133 NW 6th Ave) for the march; there will be some snacks.  At 3pm, the march will leave from Sisters and follow West Broadway, ending at a rally at 4pm at St. Mary’s Academy (1615 SW 5th), who have generously lent us their space.  The rally will be an hour long and feature Willie Baptist.  If you don’t want to march, join us for the rally!

Formerly homeless father Willie Baptist (left) is the Education Director of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union of Philadelphia and the Co-Coordinator of the University of the Poor, which is the educational arm of the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC).

Sisters is a member of the PPEHRC along with the Social Welfare Action Alliance (SWAA), a national association of progressive social workers, social work students & faculty, and individuals affected by and committed to changing the current social systems.  Sisters is grateful to the Portland Chapter of SWAA for making it possible for Mr. Baptist to participate.

The title of this year’s event comes from the economic human rights work that Dr. King did in the later years of his life.  King’s “The World House” is the final chapter in his book Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? in which King called for a world-wide passionate commitment to end poverty.  Come out to the event and show your support for economic human rights for all!

For more information, contact Devin at 503-222-5694 ext. 16 or at Devin at sistersoftheroad.org.

We are sorry to announce that Utah Phillips will not be able to join us at this year’s Winterfolk concert, Saturday, February 3, year due to illness.  He is working on getting better so he can come next year.  We are happy to welcome a true folk legend, the inimitable Rosalie Sorrels performing in his stead.  Her recent album “My Last Go Round” has been nominated for “Best Traditional Folk Album Grammy”!

Join us at the historic Aladdin Theater to support Sisters and the enjoy this year’s great lineup: Rosalie Sorrels, Mary Flower, Dan Wetzel/Kristin Granger, Tom May, Mark Ross, Kate Power/Steve Einhorn, and the Casey Neill Band. Thank-you to these great performers who are generously donating their time, and to our Creative Director Tom May!

Winterfolk Tickets are on sale now and available at Ticketmaster outlets, the Aladdin Theater (503) 233-1994, and both Music Millennium stores (801 NW 23rd Ave. and 3158 E. Burnside).  Tickets cost $26 advance and $28 on the day of the show, plus there may be fees: the Aladdin box office charges $1.00 for cash/check transactions and $2.00 fee for Visa/MC; Ticketmaster charges $4.00-$7.00; there are no fees at Music Millennium. The theater is intimate so get your tickets early!

Guitar Raffle tickets are also on sale now for $10, both at Sisters’ office at 618 NW Davis, and Artichoke Music at 3130-A S.E. Hawthorne Boulevard - a big Thank-you to Artichoke!

The guitar is a brand new L-00V Woody Guthrie-style guitar donated by John Greven.  It is an exact replica of the 1934 Gibson L-00 that Woody Guthrie played and loved best; retail value is $3,200.  Features include: mahogany back and sides, authentic vintage (1958) sitka spruce top straight from the Gibson factory with a dark sunburst finish; vintage fire stripe pickguard made with Greven’s famous tortis-shellTM; and a travel-lite case.  You can see this beauty at John Greven’s website. Thank-you John! 

We are excited to announce that the first journal scholarly journal article based on Sisters’ Research Project has been written!  The article, by Professors Lisa Hoffman PhD and Brian Coffey PhD from the University of Washington Tacoma Urban Studies Department, is undergoing peer review now at an academic journal as part of the publishing process.

Sisters’ Research Project has partnered with the U.W. to analyze Sisters’ research project data, extrapolating themes, directions for systemic change, and policy recommendations that will address the root causes of homelessness and poverty.

Their article is tentatively entitled: Dignity and Indignation: How people experiencing homelessness view services and providers. It focuses on how those experiencing homelessness were treated as a major problem in the perpetuation of homelessness. These interviewees described coping with this treatment in a number of ways, including “cynical compliance” and “opting out.” Cynical compliance refers to interviewees’ acceptance of authoritarian measures in shelters and other agencies so that they could access needed services.  Opting out describes those who stayed away from social services to the extent possible in order to retain a sense of personal dignity. Yet there were also interviewees who noted organizations and agencies that in fact treated them with respect, helping them cope with day to day struggles.

The academic review process is takes several months, so check back to learn how to find it in print. In the meanwhile, Professors Hoffman and Coffey will continue to analyze the data for more journal articles on a variety of exciting subjects, which may include:

• What to do: Solutions to Homelessness from the Homeless
• Homelessness: the Embodiment of Inequality and Politics
• Narratives of Becoming Homeless
• Political Will: Finding Real Solutions
• Criminalization of Homelessness
• Constructions and Experiences of Family and Home
• Collaborative Production of Knowledge

Saturday, January 20th, you can support Sisters and enjoy a great four-course dinner by Chef Scott Wilson formerly of Clarklewis, served in the company of visionary Oregonians.

In attendance will be Marcy Westerling (above), former Director of the Columbia County Women’s Resource Center and head of the Rural Organizing Project; Cliff Jones, Senior Associate at TACS and co-founder of Tools for Diversity, a multi-cultural team that addresses discrimination and prejudice; Guadalupe Guajardo (right) Senior Associate at TACS and a co-founder of Tools for Diversity; Genny Nelson, co-founder of Sisters Of The Road; Dr. Kathleen Sadaat, trainer and facilitator on issues of race, class and gender equality; Reverend Tom Disrud from Portland’s First Unitarian Church;and Kate Lore (left) the Social Justice Director of the First Unitarian Church.

Dinner will be fantastic!  Chef Wilson is preparing: Apple and Roasted Squash Bisque, Roasted Chicken with Polenta and Kale or Spinach Fettuccine with Leeks, Mushrooms, Sage and Breadcrumbs, and Lemon and Fennel Seed Pannacotta with Sacristains for dessert.

Tickets are $100. Call for your seat now at (503) 222-5694 ext. 14 or email Lisa at sistersoftheroad.org.

RSVP today to reserve your seat for Breakfast for the Soul, Thursday, February 15th 7:30 am to 9:00 am in the Cafe (133 NW Sixth Ave.) by emailing Monica at sistersoftheroad.org or calling her at (503) 222-5694 ext. 19.

The breakfast will be a great opportunity to learn about the new WRAP report, recently released by the Western Regional Advocacy Project of which Sisters is a founding member.  Come find out what you can do to help end homelessness in your very own community!  Remember to RSVP.