Citizens4Community (C4C) recently selected ten organizations, businesses, and individuals as the recipients of its 2024 Momentum Grants. Now in its fifth year, the program offers funding for grassroots community building initiatives aligned with the core principles of the Sisters Country Vision.
Each year, C4C dedicates a small pool of funding to help catalyze community-led actions aligned with the Sisters Country Vision. After thoughtful deliberation, we are proud to announce our 2023 Momentum Grant recipients.
Do you belt out songs in the shower, your car, or out on the trail? Or do you never sing because your fourth-grade teacher said you couldn’t carry a tune? Maybe you are a very experienced singer and/or musician looking for other voices.
Whatever label you have put on yourself, remove it and come to The Belfry on Friday night, November 22, to join in a community sing, where your voice will join with others to create beautiful spirited music.
EXCERPTED FROM THE ARTICLE: “…(Moderator Chris) Van Dyke issued a call for civility in this age of “digital amplification,” where people’s speech can become aggressive and threatening, and yet censorship runs the risk of controlling and marginalizing certain people or groups. He believes our democracy is at stake if we can’t maintain civil discourse. He asked the audience to consider, “It’s not what you can say, rather what you should say.”
You’ve maybe seen some new red, white and blue posters going up—flyers advertising the Oct. 24 Sisters Country Community Conversation on Freedom of Speech. Mark your calendars—you’ll want to attend this thought-provoking evening, starting at 5:30 p.m. You’ll enjoy local panelist insights along with audience discussion. Thank you to our sponsors—The Lodge in Sisters, Paulina Springs Books, The Ford Family Foundation and St. Charles Health System—for helping to make this event possible.
EXCERPTED FROM THE ARTICLE: “Sgt. William Bailey, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office public information officer, and Ryan Seeley, local community monitor, were invited guests to the September 16 “Let’s Talk – Public Safety,” sponsored by Citizens4Community.”
Let’s Talk is a nonpartisan, Sisters Country discussion series that explores local topics of significance from a variety of perspectives. The series grew out of last October’s “Across the Divides” workshop. About 35 area residents who self-identify across the political spectrum participated in that event. Afterward, several participants decided they would like to continue to meet and discuss local and sometimes-challenging topics.
“Getting the Most from Collaboration” is the topic for the April 19 quarterly workshop offered by Citizens4Community (C4C) from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Sisters Fire Hall Community Room.
Steve Greenwood, the workshop instructor with 35 years of experience, is the faculty leader for Portland State University’s graduate certificate program in Collaborative Governance, as well as director of Training and Academic Services for the National Policy Consensus Center at PSU. He is the former director of Oregon Solutions and has taught collaborative skills at conferences and seminars nationally and internationally.
Community volunteers can improve their skills and confidence to collectively address issues and opportunities through a January 30 Citizens4Community workshop.
From 5 to 8 p.m. at the Sisters Fire Hall Community Room, located at 301 S. Elm St., Sisters residents can gather for a free light meal and instruction from professional facilitator Terry Buchholz, who will help attendees build their practical facilitation skills.
In the spirit of election season, Citizens4Community is sponsoring an "Across the Divide" workshop 4-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30 at City Hall. They are currently recruiting 12-15 people who identify politically as Red (conservative) and 12-15 who identify as Blue (liberal).
The workshop is designed to help people on either side of the divide understand and value their differences, while co-existing alongside one another, resulting in development of empathy for each other and mutual conversation.
Have you found yourself concerned about the political divide in our country? Are you interested in finding ways to work together to create solutions—like our Founding Fathers did—based on ideals this country was established on?
Do you want to be open to understanding the other side and valuing what they contribute to our democracy?…Or think a solution may be found in relationships and communication skills?
Citizens4Community—working with the Sisters Latino community and several key sponsors, supporters and partners—presented Sisters’ first community-wide Fiesta de Independencia on Sept. 16. Held on Mexican Independence Day, the celebration offered Sisters Country a great opportunity to gather and make new friends while enjoying delicious food, festive music and folkloric dancing.
By Sue Stafford
Published Aug. 7 in The Nugget Newspaper
Rhythm & Song In the Park is fast approaching. And we're wanting to offer a shout out to our great partners in this event, including Earthtones NW, SPRD, the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District, Melvin's by Newport Avenue Market, Ford Family Foundation, and community musicians including Maggie Johnson, on flute; Cameron and Tree, on gongs and singing bowls; Kirk Olsen on African guitar; Shannon Mokuahi Rackowski, with traditional Hawaiian instruments and dance; Katie Cavanaugh on Native American flute; and Annemarie Crosier, with African drum, song and dance.
The 2018 SISTERS COUNTRY QUILT made its debut today (July 14) at the SISTERS OUTDOOR QUILT SHOW. If you weren't able to see the quilt in person, you can visit it at the DESCHUTES COUNTY FAIR or one of C4C'S UPCOMING COMMUNITY-WIDE EVENTS. Also, check out our webpage dedicated to the quilt, HERE. The page highlights the quilt's story and features the 180-plus sentiments written on the quilt.
C4C welcomes your ideas and input as we develop two new local events intended to build community and connection through rhythm, song and dance. Please join us at 5:30 p.m. May 24 for a dynamic planning meeting at Sisters City Hall. Your knowledge and support will help shape the vision for these new summertime events and bring them to life.
