Volunteer Driver Serves Community
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.
STARS celebrates volunteers at The Hub
Sisters Transportation and Ride Share celebrated our volunteers with a catered event at the HUB, complete with awards for exceptional service.
An All-Volunteer Ride Service Gets Residents to Their Medical Appointments
STARS was highlighted in the AARP publication, AARP Livable Communities, as an important part of making Sisters an age-friendly community.
Rideshare program awarded $15,000 grant
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.
STARS Volunteers Featured in the News
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.
Portraits of Sisters - Rennie Morrell
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.