Drives help families at Christmas

Dozens of Sisters Country families had a merrier Christmas thanks to the efforts of volunteers who put together the Sisters Kiwanis Holiday Food Share program, the Sisters fire volunteers' Spirit of Christmas toy drive and the Furry Friends Pet Food Drive.

All day long on Saturday, folks arrived at the Sisters fire hall community room to pick up gift cards for Melvin's Fir Street Market and Food 4 Less, so they could pick up the makings of a Christmas feast. Those with children picked up bags stuffed with toys donated by the community and collected by Sisters firefighters and volunteers. Sisters Country pets were not neglected; one of the truck bays at the fire hall was packed with dog and cat food, and toys and treats for the taking.

Sisters Kiwanis reported serving some 167 families through the food share program. Some of those families were quite large, Kiwanis organizers noted.

Furry Friends Foundation served 408 animals - including 137 cats/kittens, 218 dogs/puppies, six birds, two rats, and 45 chickens. FFF also provided spay/neuter sponsorships for many cats and dogs through the Bend Spay & Neuter Project.

"I want to especially give credit to American Nutrition Pets (Attaboy pet food) for their support of this drive since 1996," said FFF founder Kiki Dolson. "The drive wouldn't be the same without them."

The fire department toy drive brightened the Christmas of approximately 160 Sisters kids.