Civic Action Group (CAG)

Sisters’ Civic Action Group is an exciting group made up entirely of homeless, or formerly homeless people, working within a Civic Action framework towards solving problems that homeless people face every day!

• Click here to read a speech Sisters’ Community Organizer Patrick Nolen made at City Hall on June 11
• Click here to read a speech CAG and cLOT member Lyn Kirby gave at Sisters’  MLK rally, January 21 2008.
• Click here to read an interview with Julio, CAG and cLOT member.
• Click here to read a speech Julio Vazquez gave at Sisters’ MLK rally.

Old Town Clean-up

November 8th was not a typical Saturday for Sisters’ Civic Action Group. Most CAG meetings we have some snacks, sit and discuss personal victories and losses, maybe brainstorm ideas for future actions, then hold our two hour meeting. The meetings are fun, with group participation and worked for consensus being the goals.

This Meeting was different though. We were not sitting in the warm cafe, but out on the cold streets and parks of Old Town Chinatown, hunting for trash. One of CAG’s goals is more community involvement. We got it by the bushel that Saturday.  Instead of our usual 10-20 CAG members, we had 40 people. Everyone from CAG members to Sisters Board of Directors members, to Old Town residents,  to first time volunteers to PSU students, all out with trash bags, walking in small groups, covering the areas of Old Town that needed our help the most.

At the end of our day of effort, 3 hours of walking the streets, we sat down as a community to Celebrate Sisters Of The Road’s 29th birthday, which was the next day. We celebrated this great day with a potluck dinner, highlighted by fresh garden salads brought by several people and lasagna. This, judging by the views of those present, is what Sisters is about, helping to solve problems and doing it as a community.

Our planned next neighborhood cleanup is February 14th, Oregon’s birthday and Valentine ’s Day! For more information, please (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Join our Action E-List

We are currently working on a list of housed allies for this group to help in bigger events.  If you wish to be involved, please contact Devin DiBernardo (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) at (503) 222-5694 extension 16, or click here to sign up for an Action Info list to keep updated on Sister’s community organizing and systemic change work.

CAG Film

To document their organizing work, CAG has done some filming. Here are two short videos of Sisters’ co-founder Genny Nelson (pictured at left) discussing the beginnings of Sisters Of The Road and Community Organizing.  Both videos were shot by CAG member Richard Walden.

• “12 minutes with Genny Nelson”
• “Genny on NonViolence, Gentle Personalism and Sisters’ Early Years”

Here is video of CAG members supporting long time CAG friend Tom Hastings of the Whitefeather Catholic Worker House at a ‘Defund the War’ protest at Senator Gordon Smith’s office. Two CAG members Neil and Bruce took part, with Richard again filming. 

• “Senator Smith, can you hear me now?”

Do you have experience with homelessness?

The Civic Action Group will be holding meetings every second and fourth Saturday of the month, at Sisters Of The Road at 12:00 noon.  If you have experience of homelessness, please join us!  If not, please (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call her at (503) 222-5694 extension 16 for the next meeting with open attendance.

Neil mugging it up at the Autumn Moon Festival

Devin and Patrick on May Day 2008

Richard, Julio and Patrick planting flags