STARS News
Read the latest 6 posts about all the great work STARS is doing for the Sisters community, and what others are doing to help STARS with its mission to provide non-emergency medical rides to Sisters’ residents who are unable to drive themselves.
Want to read all of our history in the news? The archive lists all of our posts chronologically.
For six years, Sisters Transportation and Ride Share (STARS) volunteers have helped local residents reach essential medical appointments in Sisters, Bend, and Redmond. Volunteer drivers and dispatchers enjoy flexible schedules, meaningful connections, and the satisfaction of helping their neighbors.
Sisters is notable for the annual number of volunteer hours donated by committed citizens. One such citizen doing his part to help Sisters be a more livable community is Bob Norin. Sisters Transportation and Rideshare (STARS) is extremely fortunate to have Bob on our volunteer team. Bob completed 101 free, round trip rides in 2025. He made sure that our passengers could get to their non-emergency medical appointments 101 times. Bob is pictured here with passenger Diane Salvo.
Community isn’t just a word. Community is a promise from neighbors, businesses and non-profits, that work together to make life better for the people who live here.
Myrna, a volunteer at Council on Aging, is excited to learn about the resource STARS is for our community. Many senior citizens in our community can no longer drive, while others of our passengers only need temporary help after a surgery. Making certain that our neighbors receive free rides to their non-emergency medical appointments keeps our community members healthier, better able to live independently and less lonely and isolated. It takes a village to support a village and STARS does our part. Consider joining us as a donor or a volunteer.
Sisters Transportation and Ride Share celebrated our volunteers with a catered event at the HUB, complete with awards for exceptional service.
STARS was highlighted in the AARP publication, AARP Livable Communities, as an important part of making Sisters an age-friendly community.
STARS News Archive
For six years, Sisters Transportation and Ride Share (STARS) volunteers have helped local residents reach essential medical appointments in Sisters, Bend, and Redmond. Volunteer drivers and dispatchers enjoy flexible schedules, meaningful connections, and the satisfaction of helping their neighbors.
Sisters is notable for the annual number of volunteer hours donated by committed citizens. One such citizen doing his part to help Sisters be a more livable community is Bob Norin. Sisters Transportation and Rideshare (STARS) is extremely fortunate to have Bob on our volunteer team. Bob completed 101 free, round trip rides in 2025. He made sure that our passengers could get to their non-emergency medical appointments 101 times. Bob is pictured here with passenger Diane Salvo.
Community isn’t just a word. Community is a promise from neighbors, businesses and non-profits, that work together to make life better for the people who live here.
Myrna, a volunteer at Council on Aging, is excited to learn about the resource STARS is for our community. Many senior citizens in our community can no longer drive, while others of our passengers only need temporary help after a surgery. Making certain that our neighbors receive free rides to their non-emergency medical appointments keeps our community members healthier, better able to live independently and less lonely and isolated. It takes a village to support a village and STARS does our part. Consider joining us as a donor or a volunteer.
Sisters Transportation and Ride Share celebrated our volunteers with a catered event at the HUB, complete with awards for exceptional service.
STARS was highlighted in the AARP publication, AARP Livable Communities, as an important part of making Sisters an age-friendly community.
Our STARS volunteers are community heroes! Whether answering the phones and scheduling rides, or being the one behind the wheel, they are serving the community in a crucial way.
Have you thought about volunteering for STARS? Join us at an appreciation event for our amazing volunteers as we honor their contributions. You can have fun and learn more about how YOU can get involved!
When: Monday, Oct 7 | 4–7 PM
Where: The Hub – 291 E. Main Ave., Sisters
How to Register: RSVP by Oct 1st 3d by email to rennie@starsride.org, or text 541-610-2098, to save your seat!
Special Guest: Scott Crabtree of Happy Brain Science/Catered by Luckey’s Woodsman
Many thanks to Sisters Community Church for promoting the work of STARS at last Sunday’s Summer Music Series event. The evening was lovely. Families relaxing on the lawn, a great show by the band Station Camp, and a chance for STARS to raise funds and, most importantly, raise awareness. SCC brings “community” to life!
STARS Co-founder, Ann Marland, passes away. Join Annie’s family and friends in a Celebration of Life.
Join us August 17th at Sisters Community Church for an Evening of Fund-Raising and FUN -Raising!
Today STARS took part in the Resource Fair hosted by Living Well With Dementia, a support and resource group serving Sisters Country. The event included a community walk to raise awareness for brain health, followed by a resource fair featuring local organizations and services for individuals living with dementia and all care partners.
STARS was honored to be awarded a grant from the Oregon Community Foundation. The generous $15,000 grant will go far in supporting our mission to help keep Sisters healthy, one ride at a time. OCF is committed to funding organizations that work to improve lives in every corner of Oregon. Funding free transportation to non-emergency medical appointments is essential to rural areas.
April is National Volunteer Appreciation Month, and at STARS, we acknowledge that without our volunteers, we wouldn’t exist. We are comprised of 100% volunteers who serve on the board, are directors and managers, take phone calls, and drive passengers to their non-emergency medical appointments.
SISTERS, Ore. -- Sisters Transportation and Ride Share (STARS) helps older folks with crucial, free transportation.
"I used to be quite independent and I always managed to care for myself," said 86-year-old Sisters resident Barbara Barnett. "Then I started having health issues like a lot of us do."
Barnett is one of several Sisters residents who rely heavily on STARS, the only all-volunteer, non-emergency medical transportation service in Oregon.
April is National Volunteer Appreciation Month, and at STARS, we acknowledge that without our volunteers, we wouldn’t exist. We are comprised of 100% volunteers who serve on the board, are directors and managers, take phone calls, and drive passengers to their non-emergency medical appointments.
On the hangar wall of her duty station in Corpus Christi, Texas, hung a sign reading, "Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way." Rennie Morrell made the choice to lead that day and her path to Sisters has reflected her sense of duty to community and country ever since.
She stunned her family when she enlisted in the Navy at age 18. In Corpus Christi, she was an Aviation Admin but her decision to lead opened the door to a bachelor's degree in sociology and an officer's commission in 1983. She ultimately served a total of 22 years in the Navy, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Commander with stations in Japan and the Pentagon. She specialized in training and technology throughout her career. Her and husband, Jim, frequented Sisters on vacation and made the permanent move in
2000. She looked for local opportunities to serve and became one of the original founders of STARS - Sisters Transportation and Ride Share. She also assisted in implementing the ride booking software which manages the whole process from request to delivery. In 2024, STARS provided 726 roundtrip rides with drivers completing more than 32,000 miles. For Rennie, serving her community was the next logical step after a career serving this country. "I feel I was always built for a life of service. It's in my makeup," she says.
Recent research on depression in older Americans had some surprisingly good news. Of all age groups, those 65 and older have the lowest rate of depression. The same research found that, of the people who are depressed, chronic pain is the primary cause. A common treatment for chronic pain is physical therapy, and each week STARS provides numerous rides to PT appointments. It makes us feel good to know that we are helping reduce the pain and boost the spirits of those we drive to their appointments. It is such a rewarding volunteer job. Our passengers can no longer drive themselves and we know what a difference we make in their quality of life. By providing these free rides to non-emergency appointments, we are supporting a vibrant community.
The demand for rides from STARS has been rapidly increasing. We need your help. If you are interested in volunteering to keep Sisters a healthy community, please consider joining our team. As a STARS volunteer you can choose to work as much or as little as you want. You always make your own schedule. Going out of town for a getaway? No problem, you just wouldn’t take any rides for the time you are gone. STARS reimburses you for mileage.
Fill out an application today. We will get back to you soon, and before you know it, we will have you on the road! It’s easy to apply and we will train you to drive with us.
Sisters Transportation And Rides Share has the proud mission of “Keeping Sisters Healthy One Ride at a Time!”
Our business at STARS is providing free rides to non-emergency medical appointments for Sisters Country residents. Currently, our business is booming!! All the wonderful publicity from our partners at The Nugget, and word of mouth, means that we have reached many new passengers who cannot drive themselves to their appointments in Sisters, Redmond and Bend. This is great news for helping our community be healthier, but now WE NEED HELP FROM MORE OF YOU!
STARS Board Chair letter to The Nugget News editor:
In looking forward to what we want to accomplish with Sisters Transportation and Rideshare (STARS) in the coming year, I pause to appreciate the journey of the past year and embrace joy in our recent achievements. We are deeply grateful to be a part of the Sisters community and for the support, collaboration, and shared commitment that made the past year so meaningful. What a year!
Northwest Emergency Medical Training, led by owner and instructor Tracy Trotter in partnership with instructor Dr. Bradley Rethwill, provided a lifesaving CPR and First Aid course to 13 dedicated volunteers from STARS (Sisters Transportation and Ride Share) on January 29, at The Canoe Club in Sisters. The instruction aimed to equip volunteers with essential life-saving skills that can make all the difference when assisting the most vulnerable members of the community.
Happy Online Community Manager Appreciation Day to our very own, Norene Gonsiewski who plays an important role in building and maintaining STARS community connections. We are very fortunate to have Norene as she works tirelessly to foster STARS online engagement and promote our mission.
Our heartfelt thanks goes out to the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation for their generous grant. The tribal foundation awarded STARS $7500 for mileage reimbursement for our volunteer drivers. It is because of grants and gifts like this that Sisters Transportation and Ride Share can continue to grow our service offering free rides to non-emergency medical appointments for Sisters Country residents who cannot drive themselves.
Sisters Transportation and RideShare (STARS) announced that its year-end ride sponsorship drive has raised a total of $8,100.
The STARS volunteer rideshare program provides Sisters Country residents with free non-emergency rides to medical appointments in Sisters, Bend, and Redmond. STARS “riders” are unable to drive themselves or afford private ride companies, and many rely on the service regularly. Each STARS ride costs an average of $50 and the organization set a goal of raising $5,000 — the equivalent of 100 sponsored rides — during its fundraiser, which kicked off on Giving Tuesday in late November and ran through December of 2024.
What a year STARS had in 2024! On the organizational level, Sisters Transportation and Ride Share became its’ own entity. After the years of help with “getting on the road”, from Age Friendly Sisters Country. We formed our own board and fulfilled the requirements for non-profit status
Sisters Transportation and RideShare (STARS) announced its ride sponsorship “drive” is launching on Giving Tuesday, December 3, and will run through December 31. STARS is a volunteer ride share program that provides Sisters Country residents with free non-emergency medical rides to Sisters, Bend, and Redmond. STARS “riders” are unable to drive themselves or afford private ride services, and many say, without the nonprofit, they would need to cancel their medical visits.
The October Community Builders meeting was held at the U.S. Forest Service Sisters Ranger District garage. Attendees were welcomed by Lauren DuRocher, acting district ranger while Ian Reid is on a four-month temporary assignment on the Modoc National Forest. He will be back in Sisters in early December.
"Stepping Up" was the theme of the third annual Volunteer Appreciation Event held for Sisters Transportation and Ride Share last Thursday at Sisters Depot. Recognized for their outstanding contributions to STARS over the past year, the STAR Dispatcher of the Year is Debbie Hewett and the STAR Driver of the Year is Rita Weber.
For the last four years, the popular Sisters Ride Share and Transportation (STARS) program has been meeting the needs of residents who aren't able to provide their own transportation to non-emergency medical appointments in Sisters, Bend, and Redmond. In 2018, the need for that service was identified in a community study, and STARS, powered by volunteers, was created as a grassroots initiative to fill the need. Age Friendly Sisters Country (AFSC), a newly formed 501(c)(3) became the fiscal sponsor for STARS, their first Action Team, and has provided support and services from their start. Recently, AFSC redefined their purpose and elected to limit support contracts for Action Teams to five years. During 2024, STARS has been engaged in methodically transitioning to become its own independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
100 Women Who Care-Sisters recently raised $8,400 for Age Friendly Sisters Country/Sisters Transportation and Ride Share, the ride share services staffed by volunteers in our community. The fundraising was conducted at the group's June 27 quarterly meeting; the checks were presented to STARS on Saturday, June 29. Members of 100 WWC-Sisters, which now numbers over 100 members, chose STARS after presentations by the three nominated nonprofits, all of which represent Sisters' caring, giving community.