100 Women donate to help families, pets

Have you checked the price of a small can of cat food lately? How about kibble for your active pup? Or special medications for your aging furry friend?

More than three decades ago, Kiki Dolson recognized that low-income families, families experiencing financial hardship, and seniors on fixed incomes needed a little extra help to keep their beloved pets happy and healthy. What began as a yearly pet food drive in 1992, supported by the Sisters Kiwanis Club, the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District, and The Nugget Newspaper, soon became a year-round pet food bank.

In March of 2012, Dolson's enterprise became a 501(c)(3) organization known formally as Furry Friends Foundation, Inc.

Last week, 100 Women Who Care-Sisters donated $8,500 to help keep puppy tails wagging and fluffy kitties purring as they provide companionship, comfort and cheer for their families.

Photo provided

Furry Friends Foundation volunteers gathered with members of 100 Women Who Care-Sisters to celebrate receipt of their $8,500 donation.

At their first quarterly meeting of 2025, the group gathered at Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District Community Hall to hear presentations from three nonprofits nominated by their members: Sisters Trails Alliance, Furry Friends Foundation, and Sisters Community Foundation. After the presentations, members voted to fund Furry Friends Foundation with their individual donations of $100.

"It would take 85,000 recycled cans and bottles to match this grant!" noted a beaming Kiki Dolson as she accepted the donation on Friday, January 24.

In her presentation, Dolson explained that the mission of Furry Friends Foundation has always been to improve the welfare of families and their pets in Sisters Country. The all-volunteer organization helps pets remain well fed and healthy in their homes. In a typical month, Furry Friends distributes more than 5,000 pounds of pet food.

The physical and emotional health benefits for people sharing a home with a pet are well documented. "Approximately 40 percent of our clients are seniors," Dolson told the group, adding that pets are proven to be a great antidote to loneliness. During the one-hour meeting, members of 100 Women Who Care-Sisters also listened intently to presentations from the Sisters Trails Alliance and the Sisters Community Foundation.

STA executive director Stephanie Presley made the presentation for the Trails Alliance, which is working on increasing its educational programs, expanding the Youth Ambassador program, supporting the Trail Host program, and funding their community forums. All of these educational programs are in addition to and supplement the trail stewardship and maintenance programs of multi-user, non-motorized trails and their adjacent wild places.

From Judy Trego, founder and board president of Sisters Community Foundation, the women learned how this non-profit positively impacts the lives of our neighbors. Its funds are used to meet a variety of immediate community relief needs, such as child-care assistance for low-income families, rental assistance, utility assistance, medical assistance, and assistance to veterans/military services. In addition, the Sisters Community Foundation can react quickly to meet emergency needs, such as families suddenly left homeless after a devastating house fire, replacing stolen funds meant for a rent payment, or cover an insurance deductible for a single-parent household while a claim is being processed.

100 Women Who Care-Sisters welcomes new members. There are no membership fees; members simply pledge to donate $100 to a nonprofit selected by the group at quarterly meetings.

Nominations for nonprofit funding may be made by any member of 100 Women Who Care-Sisters. The next nomination deadline is Friday, April 4, with the quarterly meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 24. Email [email protected] for more information.