Bruce in front of the cafe and the construction on Sixth Ave.

Our Portland, Oregon nonprofit cafe is the heart and flagship of our organization.  Located at 133 NW Sixth Ave., we are open to everyone.  We serve low cost, hot, nutritious meals that can be purchased in a variety of ways, including with cash, food stamps, or in exchange for work (more below).
 

Our purpose is to build community, and we seek to change hearts and minds one relationship at a time. Sisters is profoundly about love! To learn about all our programs, click on the links below on the left.

Our Mission:

Sisters Of The Road exists to build authentic relationships and alleviate the hunger of isolation in an atmosphere of nonviolence and gentle personalism that nurtures the whole individual, while seeking systemic solutions that reach the roots of homelessness and poverty to end them forever.

Since 1979, the original goals of Sisters have remained unchanged:

• To be a safe, public place for everyone, especially women and children
• To offer nourishing meals at little cost or in exchange for labor
• To offer employment experience to local residents - individuals experiencing homelessness and extreme poverty in our community.

How to Use Services in our Cafe:

Please note, some of our hours and services have changed! If you have any questions, feel free to (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Meals

• Location: 133 NW Sixth Ave., cross street NW Davis.
• Hours: 10am-3pm, Monday through Friday. Please note the last time slot begins at 2:30pm. We are usually closed the first Monday of the month for staff training.
• Cost: $1.25/entrée, $.25/beverage
• Open to all

They way we serve meals at Sisters has changed!

We are now using a timeslot process. You can now sign up to eat during one of five serving times per day.  Currently there are 15 timeslots available every half hour from 10 am to 2:30 pm.
This is how it works:

• Beginning at 9 am, you can sign up in the Personalist Center to have your meal during the next available serving time.
• You will receive a ticket stamped with the time in which you will be served.
• When it is time to have your meal, give your ticket to the cashier, who will be happy to take your order.

Barter Program

Hours (all Monday through Friday)

• Open to All
• 7:30am-9am (kitchen prep, no advance signup)
• 10am-3pm (cafe work, ½ hour minimum, signup starts at 9am same day only)
• 9am & 12pm (15 minute jobs only – worth 1 meal and 1 drink, no advance signup)
• 3pm-5pm (closing cleanup, signup for same day starts at 10am)

Wages (barter credit only)

• $6.00/hour general café work
• $9.00/hour dishwashing

Restrooms

• Hours: 10am-3pm, Monday through Friday
• Gender neutral
• Open to all

Telephone Use

• Hours: 10am-2pm, Monday through Friday
• If there are people waiting, you will be asked to limit the length of your call.
• Open to all

Hygiene Items

• Hours: 10am-2pm, Monday through Friday
• Items available may include feminine hygiene supplies, adult diapers, infant diapers, formula and condoms
• Availability may vary. All our hygiene supplies are donations, and we may be out of some items at certain times.
• Other hygiene supplies will be no longer be available beginning July 1. Alternative hygiene supply sites can be found on this pdf.

Mail Service

There is no mail signup or list.

• If you would like to start receiving mail at Sisters, just start using our address.
• We do not track who receives mail here and cannot give out information about who receives mail.
• ID is not required to pick up mail.
• We have a sheet available detailing how our mail services are run. Download the pdf here or come by the mail counter to get one.

Mail Pickup Hours (all Monday through Friday)

• 10am-2pm (general pickup)
• 9am-5pm (check pickup)

Our address can be written like this:

YOUR NAME
133 NW 6th Ave.
Portland, OR 97209

Other:

• We do not check for mail, packages or checks over the telephone. This is to protect people’s safety and privacy regarding their mail.
• Most mail is held for 60 days and then returned to sender.
• Checks are held indefinitely
• Bulk mail (catalogs, newspapers, junk mail flyers, etc) is held for 30 days.

If you want to stop using Sisters as your mailing address:

• The post office generally will not accept forwards from our address. This is because we are a bulk address and do not have individual mail boxes or numbers.
• We will forward mail to an address of your choice for 30 days.
• After 30 days, you must notify senders directly that your address has changed.

Work Force Development Positions

• Positions are advertised in the cafe as they become available.
• These positions are only available when a staff member leaves; they are not available at all times.

Family Programs

Meals

• Single parent families with children present may eat for free in the cafe if they do not have cash or food stamps to pay for their meal.  The parent will be asked their first name, age, and the ages of their children.
• Two-parent families with children present may not eat for free.  One parent may take the children to the children’s area and wait there, while the other parent barters in exchange for the family’s meals.
• If the line seems unsafe for children (smoke, cold, sun, etc), or if the child cannot wait in line, the parent may ask to wait at the children’s area for the family’s order to be taken.
• Children’s plates are available for $.75 for children who will not eat an adult portion.

Diapers/Formula

• We sometimes have diapers available; sizes are usually limited.
• Wipes are sometimes available as well.
• We occasionally have formula available.
• Please call ahead if you are looking for these items; they are not always available, though we try hard to keep them in stock. Contact our Personalist Center Manager by calling (503) 222-5694 ext. 25.

Children’s Area

• You and your children may stay in the cafe children’s area as long as you like; you do not need to order food to use the children’s area.
• Please watch your children the whole time they are in the cafe, including the children’s area.

Disability Program

• If you are unable to work in the cafe, you may receive one meal and one beverage per day free of charge.
• If you ask to use the disability program, you will need to take a disability form to your doctor or caseworker to verify your disability.
• You may eat for two weeks without having a disability form on file. After that time, you may not receive free meals until your form is returned to us and verified.