Sisters of the Road

I’ve heard about Sisters Of The Road and the great work they do since I first moved to Oregon.  I have friends who have volunteered there.  I’ve read about their work and seen the lines out their door of the homeless and hungry individuals they serve.  The people associated with Sisters are passionate about ending poverty and homelessness.  The live out that passion through their service, their love and their mission.

We here at Focus 52 urge you to check them out this week!

Read more about them:  (taken from their website)

About Sisters Of The Road

Since 1979, Sisters Of The Road has been an essential part of the Old Town/Chinatown neighborhood. Sisters offers a space to build community, empower ourselves, learn from one another, dine with dignity and organize for justice and human rights for all.

Sisters’ Mission

Sisters Of The Road exists to build authentic relationships and alleviate the hunger of isolation in an atmosphere of nonviolence and gentle personalism that nurtures the whole individual, while seeking systemic solutions that reach the roots of homelessness and poverty to end them forever.

Sisters’ Philosophies

Nonviolence: At Sisters we say “no” to any form of humiliation, including physical, emotional, and verbal violence. Nonviolence asks us to stop violence in a nonviolent way, confronting it using love and respect to promote the safety and well-being of all. Creating a nonviolent environment starts with relationships, by calling each other by name, and caring for one another.

Gentle personalism and dignity: The term “Gentle Personalist” was coined by Catholic Worker Movement co-founder Peter Maurin, to refer to a community-minded sensibility. Maurin wrote:

“Through words and deeds he [sic] brings into existence the common unity, the common unity of a community.”

Systemic change: Systemic change usually doesn’t occur because the current system wakes up one morning and decides it needs a change. At Sisters, our experience has shown us that our community (people who experience homelessness, poverty, and oppressions at the hands of the current socioeconomic system) ARE the catalyst for the change that is needed. They are the outside force working to end oppressions and are too frequently met with resistance and oppression from the current system.

Anti-Oppression: We actively and continuously work to create a community in which all people are welcomed and valued. We are creating a community in which all people have access to the support and resources needed to live and to thrive. At Sisters, we interrupt racism, sexism and other forms of oppressive actions and language. We are committed to recruiting and supporting people with diverse backgrounds for all positions in Sisters’ community.

About The Logo

The Cafe was anonymously christened when a circle containing three Xs (the hobo symbol for good food and hospitality)—-was chalked on the pavement outside the restaurant door. This symbol became Sisters’ logo, and represents more than three decades of building long term, stable and mutually supportive relationships.

Visit their website!