We are now in the middle of the 12th anniversary of the Holiday Matching Grant Challenge, during which we challenge, cajole, coax and excite our entire community to join together to raise $240,000 to sustain the vital work of Sisters Of The Road throughout the entire year!  During the months of November and December all gifts to Sisters Of The Road will be matched 50 cents on the dollar by a group of generous individuals and businesses – a $1 gift becomes $1.50, a $100 gift becomes $150 and a $1,000 gift $1,500!

Please forward this message to your friends:  Announcing the third year of the NEW FRIEND Challenge Grant from the Collins Foundation!  The Collins Foundation, long-time supporters of Sisters Of The Road, have upped the ante by offering to match all donations from people who have never donated to Sisters before up to $20,000!  If you are a new donor to Sisters, your donations will be matched 1:1 by Collins and then matched again by the Holiday Matching Grant Challenge Pool!  Your $100 donation will become a $250 donation!  There’s one catch, we must receive at least $20,000 in new gifts to receive the match.

The funds raised during this holiday campaign are crucial to Sisters throughout the year.  They help us meet the ongoing costs of operating the Café as well as keeping our other programs, job training and community and self advocacy going.

Join us in the challenge!  Help make this the most successful Matching Grant Challenge yet by sending your holiday gift to Sisters now.  Gifts in any amount are welcome, and a donation made in the name of a friend or relative is a wonderful gift idea.  For questions or more information, contact Catharine at 503-222-5694, ext. 12 or at Catharine at sistersoftheroad.org.

The 2006 Matching Grant Challenge ends on Sunday, December 31- so hurry and get your donation in today – thank you!

Winterfolk Tickets go on sale Friday, December 15 and will be available at Ticketmaster outlets, the Aladdin Theater (503) 233-1994, and both Music Millennium stores (801 NW 23rd Ave. and 3158 E. Burnside).  Tickets cost $26 advance and $28 on the day of the show, plus there may be fees: the Aladdin box office charges $1.00 for cash/check transactions and $2.00 fee for Visa/MC; Ticketmaster charges $4.00-$7.00; there are no fees at Music Millennium.  The theater is intimate so get your tickets early!

This year’s Winterfolk concert is Saturday, February 3 at the historic Aladdin Theater. Utah Phillips, amazing national story-telling treasure and ‘Golden Voice of the Great Southwest’ is once again headlining.  Utah’s songs and stories are deep and powerful enough to dispel despair and resurrect our love of community and country even in the face of war.  An evening with Utah is like a rich shot of Hope in the arm!  Don’t miss this opportunity.

The fabulous lineup will be: Mary Flower, Dan Wetzel/Kristin Granger, Tom May, Mark Ross, Utah Phillips, Kate Power/Steve Einhorn, and the Casey Neill Band.  Thank-you to these great performers who are generously donating their time, and to our Creative Director Tom May!

Guitar Raffle tickets are on sale now for $10, both at Sisters’ office at 618 NW Davis, and Artichoke Music at 3130-A S.E. Hawthorne Boulevard!  The raffle is as important a fundraiser for Sisters as Winterfolk itself, and we thank Artichoke for their wonderful participation in the raffle this year.

The guitar is a brand new L-00V Woody Guthrie-style guitar donated by John Greven.  It is an exact replica of the 1934 Gibson L-00 that Woody Guthrie played and loved best; retail value is $3,200.  Features include: mahogany back and sides, authentic vintage (1958) sitka spruce top straight from the Gibson factory with a dark sunburst finish; vintage fire stripe pickguard made with Greven’s famous tortis-shellTM; and a travel-lite case.  You can see this beauty at John Greven’s website. Thank-you John!

Editor, chef and president of Collector’s Press, Richard J. Perry, has generously offered to split the proceeds 50/50 when Sisters’ supporters buy The Good Home Cookbook!  We will receive $15 for each $29.95 book throughout December.

This stylishly illustrated edition is a diverse collection of over 1,000 traditional, from-scratch American recipes.  To ensure authenticity and ease of use, Richard recruited over 700 home cooks across the county to test the recipes.  Thorough, well-indexed and a big 512 pages, the book is a great reference for beginners and seasoned cooks alike.

To buy the The Good Home Cookbook, click here, click on the image, click Add to Cart, and in the secure Check Out area, when asked: How did you hear about us?  Answer “Other”, then in the box below type “Sisters.”

Richard Perry is a long-time supporter of Sisters Of The Road and says he believes in the healing power of comfort food whether down in Sisters’ café, at home cooking for his family of four, or teaching others the culinary craft.  He is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals and has been on the Travel Channel, Food Network, as well as several appearances on AM Northwest (KATU).

The PhotoVoice exhibit is open to the public now through Thursday, December 28 at the Portland State University Library, at 1875 SW Park Avenue.  The library will be collecting cans of food for the Oregon Food Bank at that location as well.

There is a cd release party for “Live at the Moon and Sixpence,” a great CD whose sales will benefit Sisters Of The Road!  This event promises to be soooo much fun, and it’s this Thursday at 8pm at the Moon and Sixpence British Pub located at 2014 NE 42nd Ave.

Four of the bands featured on the CD are playing: Foghorn Stringband, whom you might have seen at Sisters’ Hoedown; Johnny Connolly Band; the Kung Pao Chickens; and Trashcan Joe.  This show is FREE and will be popular so get there EARLY for a seat and to buy a cd!  For more information, contact Michaeltmarshall at yahoo.com at the Moon and Sixpence.

Sisters will benefit when our supporters purchase Ivan McLean’s eclectic steel, wood and marble sculptures at Springbox gallery in the month of December!  Remember to mention Sisters, and we will receive 10%.

Springbox is located at 2376 NW Thurman St.  Their hours are 10 to 5 Tues-Sun.  For more information contact Erin at (503) 228-1600.

From the jumping steel fish downspouts at New Seasons market, to the big-fish Linton town sign, to our very own Hoedown and Auction, you’ve probably noticed Ivan’s whimsical work around Portland.  He makes creative, one-of-a-kind pieces for your garden and home.

The MLK Essay Contest has been cancelled; our MLK March is alive and well however, so join us on January 15!