There are three X’s marking the outside of the Sisters of the Road Café. For most, the letters have no significant meaning. For some, they symbolize a place of welcome, warmth and even home. Many years ago, impoverished Portlanders marked the café; now Sisters uses the ‘X’ as a badge of honor, not just a logo.
It’s just before 10 a.m. and 17 people are standing outside on a cold, sunny morning, waiting for the doors of Sisters to open for breakfast. For many of these people it may be their only hot meal of the day.
Thirty-two years ago, two social workers decided to build on the foundational concept of “dining with dignity” and launched Sisters as a service for at-risk people in Portland. Sisters is a pseudo-restaurant that sells meals for just $1.25 ($1.50 with a drink), and allows people to work for their food if they don’t have the cash. Just 15 minutes of work is enough to earn a meal, and 60 percent of the 220 meals that Sisters serves each day are paid for through their barter system.
Sisters operates with a budget of only $3,000 a month, and according to Kris Soebroto, who works on the kitchen team, the café wouldn’t exist without community support. “About a year ago, B-Line Delivery began stopping by and delivering food from places like Whole Foods. We get first choice, and then they go to a few other spots downtown. We’re really serving some pretty amazing food—because people are donating, definitely not because our budget allows it,” Soebroto said.
Recently, Sisters received 800 pounds of Painted Hills grass-fed beef—a high-quality product featured proudly on many Portland restaurant menus. And thanks to community donations, Sisters is able to buy no-sugar-added juice and always tries to serve fresh vegetables and fruit.
One of the many volunteers at Sisters is Chad, who cleans the bathrooms and has been coming to Sisters to eat since the ’80s for, among other things, the great food. “I like the atmosphere. It’s homey,” he said. “Seeing good friends everyday. I love volunteering my time.”
It isn’t just food that Sisters serves—they are also involved in community organizing. “We have a community school where folks learn leadership skills. We are having our second film festival in December.It’s a place for friends and food, but also a place for opportunity,” Soebroto said.
Another Portland organization dedicated to improving the homeless population’s access to good food is P:ear (Project: Education Art and Recreation). Offering a full GED program, P:ear supports homeless youth as they prepare for college with an extensive art program, recreational activities and outdoor outings once a month.
Joy Cartier, an assistant director with P:ear and one of its three founders, said that she loves the support the Portland community offers. P:ear has received donations of free event tickets for its clients, and received support from restaurants like Old Wives’ Tales, Higgins, Poppos, Vida Café, the Doug Fir and Grand Central Bakery.
When asked what the Portland community means to Cartier, her reply was simple: everything. “I don’t think that P:ear could have succeeded anywhere else. Because we don’t take any government funding, everything comes from the support of the community,” Cartier said.
The nutrition of the children they serve is of the utmost importance to Cartier and her co-workers. “These are the kids who need the best nutrition but get the worst. Because of the cost, things tend to be very carb-heavy,” Cartier said. “We really have a wonderful working relationship with Woodstock Farmer’s Market. In the last two years they have donated tons of produce to us—I mean crates. That’s been a wonderful partnership for us.”
The season of giving is around the corner, but these businesses that provide safety nets for those at risk are giving year round. For those who need it most, ‘X’ marks the spot.