Another Year, Another Chapter
As we approach the end of another remarkable year, I want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support.
Thanks to you, Sisters of the Road led and participated in many projects and actions. I would be remiss if I did not highlight a few of them.
Last February, Rene Gonzalez announced Portland Street Response would no longer hand out tents and tarps to unhoused folks sleeping outside. In response, Justice wrote an email to you all, “When It Snows.” Willamette Week quoted a piece of it, but the line that struck me, “We need to talk about people’s human struggles to survive in sometimes impossibly difficult conditions,” is the one I keep in mind as we advocate for systemic change.
A revamped Fresh Change program that led two tours in partnerships with Street Roots and Ground Score Association.
Participated in the City of Portland’s Violence Prevention Allocation Study and provided feedback in the session focused on homelessness in Portland.
Worked with multiple partners on the Right to Rest campaign, House Bill 3501. If passed, this would have provided protections from ordinances that limit where and when people may sit, rest, and lie.
Sisters was integral in the Stop ShotSpotter campaign in Portland. We co-hosted a Surveillance Tech forum with Sarah Hamid (Carceral Tech Resistance), Aje Amaechi (Freedom to Thrive), and Chris Bushick (PDX Privacy). In June, the Mayor announced Portland would not use ShotSpotter.
Advocated alongside OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon against the TriMet fares being increased and for a fareless transit. We attended several Trimet board meetings, rallied, and wrote testimonies as to why those who are low income or houseless will be negatively impacted. Ultimately, the fare will be raised and effective January 2024.
In May when Senate republicans walked out for six weeks, Sisters, ACLU of Oregon, Unite Oregon, and others rallied on the steps of our Capitol. We demanded that our government work for us and not against us.
We rallied at City Hall in Portland in late May in response to the daytime camping ban. We also created an updated Know Your Rights informative brochure with the Metropolitan Public Defender, the nonprofit law firm that serves to provide trial level public defense services in the state of Oregon. After the city council voted to enforce the camping ban, Sisters submitted a declaration on behalf of the plaintiffs. Currently, there is an injunction which restrains the city from enforcing a sit, lie, rest ordinance.
Our biggest news is we bought the House of Louie, located at 331 NW Davis! It is only 2 blocks away from our former cafe. Property ownership brings us stability. With this major milestone, we are showing that we are here for the long haul. Both as a reliable safe haven for low income and people experiencing homelessness and as an advocacy organization seeking systemic change. Our impact will become stronger from here.
As we look ahead to the coming year, we have ambitious plans to move into the surveying phase of the Housing Survey in partnership with Portland State University, finalize the design for the new cafe, and continue advocating for humane laws that affect those experiencing homelessness. To bring these visions to life, we need your continued support.
Your donation, no matter the size, will play a vital role in helping us achieve our goals. Please consider donating monthly as it creates a foundation for Sisters, or increase your donation.
