Sisters salutes...

• Stefan W. Kirshner, Sisters High School Class of 2012, has completed basic training with the United States Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton, California.

Kirshner said the training was "physically and mentally challenging." He's back home in Central Oregon where he will assist in Marine Corps recruiting in local high schools before returning to Camp Pendleton for advanced infantry training.

Stefan is the son of Tami and Richard Kirshner of Sisters.

• Katie Diez and family salute two Sisters business owners, Janit Brockway of Bedouin and Wendy Vernon of Wendy Vernon Designs, as well as several other Sisters individuals whose kindness and generosity has spread to the other side of the country.

Katie Diez and her family have been living in Philadelphia, PA, for the past three months while she took a travel occupational therapy job. The long-term care facility where Katie was assigned has 180 beds with people in high poverty. Many are just off the streets with barely the clothes on their backs recovering from strokes, injuries and other chronic health issues. The management does a "Secret Santa" for the residents where they make a "wish list" and others purchase gifts for them.

Katie decided to grab a couple slips and have her family participate in helping bring some holiday cheer to those in need. Their wish list didn't include big-ticket items like TVs and electronics; they asked for essentials like socks, shirts, pants and a blanket for their bed.

But the worst of it was that it didn't seem like there was any way those running this program were going to be able to supply presents for all the residents. The local business that had partnered with this care facility in the past to provide gifts was unable to help this year. This broke Katie's heart, as she has grown to care for these people she works with and she posted a small statement about the situation on Facebook.

People of Sisters responded immediately with incredible generosity. People were coming together to send care packages of socks, scarfs, hats, jewelry and other wonderful things as well as over $500 to go toward purchasing necessary items. "Being away from home this Christmas has been difficult," Katie says.

"But being able to be a part of the beautiful kindness that is at the heart of our great town and to be able to share that with those in dire need all the way on the east coast has made it possibly our most memorable and special one yet."