“Toward Our Shared Future: Age-Friendly Oregon Summit 2023” was the theme of the AARP-sponsored event held at Western Oregon University in Monmouth Oregon. Dixie Eckford and Mike Deal were in attendance when AFSC/STARS was presented with the Age Friendly Community Champions Award. Dixie accepted the award on behalf of STARS and Rennie Morrell. AARP also awarded AFSC a $1500.00 contribution to our Age Friendly efforts.
Since 2018, AFSC has provided fiscal and administrative support that turns ideas into action for the benefit of all who live in Sisters. The organization champions a livable, resilient community and draws from the national model of Domains of Livability as its guide in that effort. Domains cover everything from housing to healthcare, education to equity and culture to communication, so there is no shortage of opportunities for AFSC to make Sisters a resilient, welcoming place for all ages. But, as AFSC founder Toni Landis explains, “What we do have is a shortage of helping hands. Right now, AFSC is run entirely by a small group of very dedicated volunteers and board members. Our ability to have a greater impact in the community is just a math problem. The more committed individuals we can rely on, the more initiatives we can take from lightbulb to launch and make a real difference.”
Have you ever thought of a great way to make your community better but had no way to get your idea off the ground? A Sisters nonprofit knows that feeling and is doing something about it.
AFSC (Age Friendly Sisters Country) was founded in late 2018 with a mission to make Sisters livable and accessible for all. That may sound like a lofty goal, but it’s backed by the organization’s ability to mobilize resources. As AFSC founder Toni Landis explains, “We help people take their ideas from lightbulb moment to launch. Our community is filled with thinkers who have fantastic ideas, big and small, for making Sisters truly resilient. But many of those ideas don’t go anywhere because the process of creating a nonprofit to support the concept is pretty overwhelming. AFSC delivers strategic oversight, fiscal structure and administrative support so people can get their ideas up and running more easily than they could on their own. In effect, we create a straight line between innovation and impact.”
On June 1, 2019, the City of Sisters was accepted as a member of the World Health Organization’s Global Network for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities.
Membership reflects the City’s commitment to listen to the needs of their aging population, assess and monitor their age-friendliness, and work collaboratively with older people and across sectors to create age-friendly physical and social environments. It signals to the citizens of Sisters Country that the City will proactively take age-related issues into consideration in its planning and building codes for both commercial and residential building projects. Membership is also a commitment to share experience, achievements, and lessons learned with other cities and communities.
Age Friendly Sisters Country (AFSC) is grateful to The Roundhouse Foundation, Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation, St. Charles, and C4C/Vision Team for their generous support of Sisters Transportation and Ride Share in 2022. Sisters Transportation and Ride Share (STARS) volunteers provide free rides to non-emergency medical appointments in Sisters, Bend, and Redmond, and the service is available to any Sisters Country resident. STARS is an Age Friendly Sisters Country action team.
The Roundhouse Foundation, a Sisters-based philanthropy organization that supports innovative programs in Oregon’s rural communities, has announced final selections in its spring grant cycle. Supported programs and projects fall into the organization’s four focus areas, which are fundamental in building thriving rural areas: arts and culture; environmental stewardship; social services; and education. A total of $1.4 million was awarded to 75 organizations working across Oregon to support rural and tribal communities.
Since July 2019, the Vision Implementation Team (VIT) has been meeting regularly to guide progress on the Sisters Country Vision. The VIT is thrilled to welcome three new community members to the team: Hattie Tehan, Dennis Schimidling, and Bob Bryant. Each brings a different background, skill set, and passion to the Vision project. The VIT is also excited to announce the funding of their first Community Partner Grant, awarded to AFSC (Age Friendly Sisters Country) to support volunteer capacity for their Tollgate Village and STARS Transportation projects. Funding is still available, and the application is simple! Visit www.sistersvision.org to learn more and apply.
Age Friendly Sisters Country (AFSC) “Action Teams” received a $5,000 grant from The Ford Family Foundation (TFFF) to focus on their COVID-19 response. The grant will be split between the STARS “Action Team” and the newly formed Linked Villages — Sisters “Action Team.”