Each month, COTS staff are proud to share news of our programs, our community, and our clients as they work towards permanent housing. Thank you for reading and for supporting our work to end homelessness in Sonoma County!

Watch COTS’ Virtual Town Hall!

Last week, COTS hosted a Virtual Town Hall to share the news of two new programs for clients with our community. If you missed the Zoom call, you can view it now on our YouTube by clicking here!

We discuss Pathways, a more cohesive set of offerings for clients who wish to pursue sobriety, including expanded recovery meetings, designated space at our Mary Isaak Center shelter, sober homes in our Integrity House program, and a 21-day Challenge for those interested in coming into shelter from living outside.

We also share more about Client Enrichment, a new set of offerings for clients that connects them with volunteers to provide resume help, job interview support, legal aid and more. Client Enrichment is spearheaded by Eileen Morris and is actively seeking volunteers! To learn more, contact Eileen at [email protected] or 707.765.6530 x128.

Petaluma Preventing Homelessness

Throughout 2020, COTS has seen a rise in calls for our Homelessness Prevention services. This program helps people who are currently housed with rent or other assistance when they’re facing job loss or other loss of income – to prevent them from falling into homelessness before it happens.

We are so lucky that our local government also understands the urgency of keeping people housed. On October 19, 2020, the City Council in Petaluma approved a $150,000 grant to COTS and PPSC for rental assistance, to be spent over three years through our Homelessness Prevention program. These funds will not just help the individuals who receive support but will help our entire community to remain more stable no matter what the next year may bring. Thank you to the City Council for this generous investment in the people of Petaluma – we are so grateful for your foresight and support!

If you or someone you know is in need of our homelessness prevention services, please call Sarah Vetter, Homelessness Prevention Case Manager, at 707.765.6530 x201.

Holiday Wish List – Updated for November!

The kitchen at Mary’s Table needs your help making the holidays merry and bright for adults and families in our community experiencing hunger. With Thanksgiving around the corner, can you supply any of these items?

  • Aluminum Roasting Pans
  • Bags and Boxes of Stuffing
  • Butter
  • Chicken Stock
  • Marshmallows
  • French Fried Onions
  • Brown Sugar
  • Jared and Powdered Gravy
  • 15-20 lb. Turkeys
  • Hams
  • Briskets
  • Cranberries-Canned and Fresh
  • Canned Tomatoes
  • Pasta
  • Canned Veggies
  • Refried Beans
  • Canned Beans
  • Maple/Pumpkin Spice Favored Pudding
  • Holiday Cookie Decorating Kits
  • Holiday Cookie Cutters
  • Colored Sprinkles and Sugar crystals
  • Popcorn
  • Chips
  • Punch
  • Disposable Soup Cups with Lids

If so, please bring them to the Mary Isaak Center at 900 Hopper St. in Petaluma, behind the Goodwill. Or, bring them into the Shuckery any time between now and Christmas and receive 10% off your meal! If you have any questions, please contact Diana Morales, Engagement Specialist, at [email protected] or 707.765.6530 x136.

Find out more about helping out during the holidays by clicking here

From Homeless to Housing

COTS’ Case Manager Christina Madden got the best kind of news when a former client reached out with the text to the right – including a picture of her new car! Our client came to COTS with a multitude of mental and physical health issues, including congestive heart failure, diabetes, and depression. So COTS put the full weight of our local partnerships to work for her!

We were able to connect her with Annie Nicol at the Petaluma Health Center and Asya Sorokurs at Sonoma County Legal Aid to help appeal her SSDI claim and start recouping an income.

After working with Christina, our client was approved for Medi-Cal, food stamps, and a free cell phone through Lifeline. She was then able to start making medical appointments and get her medications and lab work done.

She also started working with a therapist through Petaluma Family Therapy – a new partnership COTS launched in 2020. Before long, she was interviewing for housing through Share Sonoma County and had found employment – which just goes to show that stability is possible with a little help from friends. Here’s wishing our client a great start in her new digs!

And don’t forget to register for The COTS Hour-at-Home Today!

Our virtual fundraiser will air on December 3, 2020 throughout the day. We can’t wait to share more about our year and how we continue to serve those experiencing homelessness no matter what challenges we face as a community! Learn more at cots.org/the-cots-hour-at-home

Feeling uncertain about watching a virtual event? We made this helpful How-To Guide to show you how!