Sisters of the Road, Portland

Sisters Of The Road was born in 1979, when an anonymous person used chalk to draw a circle containing three Xs—the hobo symbol for good food and hospitality—on the sidewalk in front of the organization's new restaurant in the Old Town/Chinatown neighborhood. The founders paid for the space with $10 and bartered for the rent.

Today, visitors who can't afford the typical $1.25 price tag for a meal at the café also can barter work in exchange for their food—much of which is donated by local grocery stores. First-time customers and those who cannot pay or work for their meals get their food for free. Last year, the café served more than 39,000 meals, 3,500 of which were given gratis to families, people with disabilities, and first-time customers. Others worked a total of more than 10,000 hours to pay for their tabs. In addition to operating the restaurant, Sisters Of The Road has published a book and video on homelessness and sponsored an annual conference on economic human rights and nonviolence.