COMING JANUARY 2027
Welcome Home, Sister
Trailer
VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED
Welcome Home, Sister is an upcoming documentary feature film about a group of female American Red Cross volunteers, known as Donut Dollies, who served during the Vietnam War. The film focuses on one of these volunteers, Penni Evans, whose life, first of service, then of post-war adversity, exemplifies the larger plight Donut Dollies have faced in the decades since the war’s end.
Your tax-deductible contribution through the International Documentary Association (IDA) will help complete editing, original score, color correction, sound design, and festival submissions, bringing this overlooked chapter of American service to audiences.
Welcome Home, Sister is a fiscally sponsored project of the International Documentary Association (IDA), 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization. Contributions in support of Welcome Home, Sister are payable to IDA and are tax deductible as allowed by law.
Between 1965 and 1972, 627 women volunteered to go to Vietnam with the American Red Cross's Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas Program, otherwise known as the Donut Dollies.
The military requested the program's deployment to Vietnam after it had successfully served in World War II and Korea. General William Westmoreland stated, “Serving our men on the battlefields here in Vietnam, the American Red Cross is a hotline to the folks back home, an oasis in the heat of battle, and a comfort during hospitalization.”
The American Red Cross recruited recent college graduates to volunteer for one year of service in Vietnam.
Traveling by helicopter and jeep, these women logged more than 2.7 million miles throughout South Vietnam, bringing games, conversation, compassion, and a touch of home to American troops serving in some of the war's most dangerous places.
However, unlike those who served in the military ranks, the Donut Dollies have been excluded from all health and social welfare benefits awarded to military members, including those for Agent Orange.
These women carried military identification, were authorized by the military to work as support for troops in combat zones, and were exposed to the same dangers as any front-line service member. In particular, these women were excluded from Congressionally mandated benefits related to Agent Orange poisoning granted to all service members deployed in Vietnam.
Penni Evans has fought through years of health problems possibly associated with her one year of service in Vietnam.
She is currently recovering from a double mastectomy and chemotherapy, the drastic steps taken to help kill the cancer that may be the result of Agent Orange exposure.
Welcome Home, Sister brings this double standard to light: government benefits for those who served in the military, no benefits for those who served alongside them in these technically civilian roles.
Penni's Journey
VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED
We began filming in January, 2025, when Penni underwent double mastectomy surgery. We filmed her year-long cancer treatment, her exciting milestones, and her friends and community that supported her along the way. In this scene, watch Penni prepare for her double-mastectomy surgery as she reflects on preparing for her time in Vietnam.
Expert Interviews
We had the privilege of visiting Washington, D.C. to interview Senator Chris Coons and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand about the Donut Dollies’ service during the Vietnam War. Senator Coons and Gillibrand, along with Senator Tillis, on April 29, 2026 unanimously passed S.Res.705, The Donut Dollies Senate Resolution, commending and recognizing the Donut Dollies for their service.
Other experts commenting in the documentary include Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan, Robert Brigham, Chris Appy, Kara Dixon Vuic, Ed Martini, Kim Enderle, Bob Sanford, Carol Hunter, and Penni's fellow Donut Dollie, Terry Harmon.
The Archive
We are excited to feature Penni's extensive archive, including documents, letters, photographs and footage, as well as footage from the National Archives of the Donut Dollies during wartime.
Q&A with Director Emma Spencer
Learn more about Emma Spencer's career working with American Vietnam War veterans and her motivation to create Welcome Home, Sister.
Our Team
Emma Spencer is a documentary photographer and filmmaker who has documented Vietnam War veterans for the last nine years. Spencer graduated from the Harvard-Westlake School (2018, Senior Photography Award for first ever solo student photography exhibition) and Amherst College (2022), where her multimedia studio art thesis on women Vietnam veterans was awarded Summa Cum Laude and archived in the Library of Congress. Her passion for documentary work has never wavered, and she hopes Welcome Home, Sister is her first of many documentary films. She grew up in Santa Barbara, CA and currently resides in Los Angeles.
Emma Spencer
Director, Producer, and Director of Photography
Shelagh Morphy is an artist and graphic designer. She graduated from Cate School (2018, awarded the senior showcase Photography Prize and the Irwin Photography Award) and Northeastern University (2023), where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a major in Design, concentrating in Graphic Design. After college, she worked for several years as a freelance Graphic Designer, most notably for K2 Studios, a documentary production studio in Los Angeles. This is her second film in the roles of assistant producer and creative director. She grew up in Santa Barbara, CA and currently resides in Los Angeles.
Vanessa Roworth is a video editor specializing in feature and short-form documentaries, unscripted series, branded content, and fashion. She crafts visually and emotionally resonant stories focused on social issues. Her feature films have screened internationally at SXSW, Berlinale, Tribeca, Hot Docs, DOC NYC, and Edinburgh, and have aired on PBS/Independent Lens, VICELAND, Channel 4, and Netflix. Her documentary credits include the Emmy-winning Medora and the acclaimed Blank City. She is also co-founder of the all-female production company Bunny Lake Films.
Vanessa Roworth
Editor
Shelagh Morphy
Creative Director and Assistant Producer
