Holidays get rolling at fire department

Christmas kicked off early last Saturday at the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District Community Hall.

The Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire & Ambulance Association, Sisters Kiwanis Club and Furry Friends Foundation sponsored the “Spirit of Christmas Giving Tree” which provided Christmas gifts to families in need in Sisters Country this holiday season.

The Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire & Ambulance Association (SCSFAAA) collected new unwrapped gifts at the main fire station at 301 S. Elm St. in Sisters. Gifts were available to children, age newborn to seniors in high school, of low-income families who live within the Sisters or Black Butte school districts.

SCSFAA office assistant Sarah Bialous, who helped coordinate the event, was on hand to talk to The Nugget.

“This is such a wonderful joint effort between all three of us. We are serving close to 250 children this year,” she said.

People in the community picked up tags with items requested by families that hung on the “Spirit of Christmas Giving Trees” at Ray’s Food Place, Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Station, Black Butte Ranch Post Office and Black Butte Ranch Police Department.

Furry Friends Foundation was well-stocked with generous donations for their holiday pet food drive.

Furry Friends Foundation founder and director Kiki Dolson said, “This is our 28th year of the holiday pet food drive which has helped almost 8,000 pets over the years. I am always amazed when it all comes together. It’s a huge mishmash of boxes of treats, squeaky toys, Nylabone chews, Kongs, catnip mice and pallets of pet food. The cash donations we get during the holidays allow me to shop for special requests and what is still needed, and there is lots of shopping to do.

“Providing pet food to Sisters-area families and seniors means those dollars that would be spent are now added back into the monthly budget. That little bit of aid might mean more groceries for the family or maybe they turn the heat up a couple degrees.”

Furry Friends fed 393 pets this holiday season, mostly cats and dogs, but there’s always a few other pets too, and this year they fed a hedgehog.

Dolson added, “I want to send out huge thanks to the Cloverdale RFPD who transported eight pallets from storage to the Sisters Fire Hall for distribution. Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD were there to help unload. I really don’t know how I could have managed without them this year, I’m very grateful. And a big thank-you to the many volunteers who helped this past Saturday.”

Furry Friends is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) that operates a pet-food/supply bank from their office, supplies the pet food distributed through the Kiwanis Food Bank, and offers free spay/neuter/vaccinations to Sisters-area families in need.

Furry Friends is still accepting cash donations. They may be mailed to P.O. Box 1175, Sisters, OR 97759 or individuals may donate online at www.furryfriendsfoundation.org. These donations will be used to stock the year-round pet-food bank and sponsor pet spay and neuter surgeries.

Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank sponsored their annual holiday meal program and volunteers Naomi Rowe and Julie Miller were very busy accepting vouchers.

Families who wanted to participate in the annual Kiwanis holiday food program filled out applications at the Kiwanis Food Bank on Main Avenue, at Sisters Fire Hall, and at Sisters Family Access Network.

Sisters Kiwanis raises funds year-round to support the community’s other non-profits, student scholarships for sports and college, and their own community projects.