Sisters women contribute to local nonprofit

More than 70 Sisters women gathered last week with open hearts - and open checkbooks - to provide $7,500 to Harmony Farm Sanctuary which provides rescue, rehabilitation, and adoption of abused, neglected, medically compromised, and senior farm animals. They also strive to build a kinder and more inclusive community, and advocate for a food system free from harm.

100 Women Who Care – Sisters (100WWC-Sisters) came together at the instigation of Chris Laing and Kathy Campbell, both of whom have been involved in leading Sisters Country nonprofit organizations. Laing had experience with a similar group when she lived in Homer, Alaska, and was certain Sisters women would respond to the call.

The two women contacted 100 of their closest friends, and fellow volunteers in other local organizations, inviting them to join the new group. And respond they did - swiftly and enthusiastically - as friends told other friends, all in less than a month.

100WWC-Sisters is simply a group of women who get together four times a year to help support projects undertaken by local Sisters Country nonprofit organizations, through their collective donations.

At the quarterly meetings, the women hear three five-minute presentations by organizations nominated and vetted by 100WWC-Sisters members. Members vote for the organization they would like to support and the one receiving the most votes is awarded the collective donations written directly to the organization. One of the requirements for membership is that all members agree to donate to whichever nonprofit receives the majority vote. Receipt of the donations is acknowledged by the chosen organization and is tax deductible.

The local 100WWC-Sisters is not part of a national organization but hundreds of communities throughout the United States and Canada have similar groups, each tailored to the needs of their local residents.

According to Laing, "100 is not a magic number as far as members. The more women we have, the more money we will give." Laing and Campbell have agreed to facilitate the group until it has 100 members and then the membership will decide how the group is run. They welcome more members and members who would like to volunteer for short-term committees.

Nominations for next quarter are due by noon on June 21. The next meeting will be Thursday, June 27, at noon, at The Lodge, 411 East Carpenter Lane, next to the post office. Prior to the meeting, members will receive links to the three nominated nonprofits' websites and members are encouraged to review those prior to the meeting. Nomination and membership forms are available by contacting 100wwc.sisters@gmail.com.

Harmony Farm Sanctuary was started 10 years ago by Robine Bots in their original location on Perit Huntington Road when she got Pig Floyd for her daughter. They have since moved to larger quarters on Cascade Estates Drive, where they currently have 146 animals in their safe haven. Hundreds more have been rescued and rehomed in the last decade. All the animals have names like Eleanor the pig, Norman the cow, the barn cat Ronald Weasley, and Lulu the goat who has a prosthetic leg. It costs about $7,000 a month for feed and vet bills. They operate with over 50 volunteers and there is no paid staff. Their Compassionate Curriculum teaches empathy, kindness, and compassion. They were selected to receive the $7,500. Their website is http://www.harmonyfarmsanctuary.com.

The other two presenting nominees were Sisters Transportation and Ride Share (STARS) and 3 Sisters Equine Rescue. STARS began offering free rides for Sisters residents to non-emergency medical appointments in Sisters, Bend, and Redmond in March 2020 and, to date, has provided 1,500 round-trip rides covering 67,000 miles. They have about 150 clients at any one time, 39 volunteer drivers, 10 dispatchers, and seven volunteer staff members. Their funding comes from donations and grants. To schedule rides, call 541-904-5545 on Tuesday or Thursday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Rides need to be scheduled 48 hours in advance. Their website is at starsride.org.

3 Sisters Equine Rescue began in 2014 with efforts to save one horse from the slaughterhouse. It turned out they saved three and a new rescue organization was formed. Six hundred horses have been rescued thus far, including wild, senior, and medically compromised - horses no one wants - and 30 are currently in their volunteer rescue program. The horses undergo rehabilitation and retraining, before they are rehomed. All volunteers are trained and vetted. Those who foster horses receive financial assistance with veterinary, feed, farrier, and supplement expenses. Their operating funds come from donations and two special events a year - Gritty Girl Tea, which is May 4 this year, and Boots and Bourbon. Their website is http://www.3sistersequine.com and their email is http://www.3sisterstotherescue@gmail.com.