Top 10 Moments of 2018
10. COTS is honored to help in fire recovery
The Laure Reichek Housing Hub in Santa Rosa is providing a variety of permanent rental opportunities to those made homeless in the fires or their immediate wake. We have funding to help 572 people over three years. In our first five months, we housed 105 people!
9. When people are housed, we all benefit
Rebekah Sammet was living in our Integrity Housing program when she agreed to speak at the Grand Opening of the Laure Reichek Housing Hub in July. She talked about how having permanent housing changed her life and the life of her two-year-old daughter.
8. COTS helps people stay housed
“Find housing. Keep housing.”
That’s our motto, and that’s what we help people do.
7. 30 years of community
“Thank you for being there,” someone wrote on a donation check this month.
May we turn that “thank you” right around?
6. Volunteers keep our doors open
At any hour of the day—on any day—volunteers are working for COTS.
5. Spirits that won’t quit
In the face of the worst housing crisis in Sonoma County history, our residents live in hope, creating beauty and community.
4. Community fundraisers
These folks raised incredible amounts of cash and awareness. Thank you!
3. Business supporters
Our businesses volunteered, raised funds, donated goods, services, time and treasure.
2. Landlords step up!
In the last year, we’ve been able to house hundreds of people–children and adults–thanks to dozens of landlords who believe in our programs and our participants.
1. Diana Morales wins the COTS Board President’s Award
A kind word from Diana can convince people to finally come in from the streets, to seek help, to address problems, to make changes. Just last month, Diana saved two lives!
The Top 10 Moments of 2018: Diana Morales wins the COTS Board President’s Award
1. Diana Morales wins the COTS Board President’s Award
The overwhelming choice of her colleagues to win, Diana accepted her award at our Holiday Party on December 13 and was back at work before 7 the next day.
Diana started at COTS in 2015 as a front desk intern. Now she is a site coordinator, responsible for maintaining a safe and secure environment on the Mary Isaak Center first floor and for ensuring that our residents have their basic needs met. She works four 12-hour days a week. At times, she is the only staff person in the building.
Diana fields questions from everybody who comes up to the front desk—that means residents, would-be residents, donors, job applicants and our partners. It can be hectic during the day—with multiple people waiting for her assistance. One minute, she may be helping bring in donations from somebody’s trunk, the next, she’s getting someone a bag lunch, or giving directions to the bus stop. She’ll explain the value of working with a case manager, she’ll thank residents for their community service, she’ll hand out sheets, towels and dental floss. People are usually grateful, but sometimes they’re abusive. Diana never her loses her cool and always strives to defuse the situation and bring people to a place of calm.
Often, at night, she’ll listen long and hard to the stories of people who can’t sleep and who wonder if they’ll ever feel whole again.
She gives each person her full attention. No one with whom she’s speaking is aware that she has a million tasks waiting for her. They feel heard.
And that’s good because the stakes are high. A kind word from Diana can convince people to finally come in from the streets, to seek help, to address problems, to make changes. Just last month, Diana saved two lives! Nurse Annie, our resident Nurse Practitioner from the Petaluma Health Center, says Diana has great instincts and is an integral part of providing health care and security to residents.
Diana knows she could get an easier job, a better-paying job, a less stressful job. “I stay because this is important work,” she says.
The Top 10 Moments of 2018: Landlords step up!
2. Landlords step up!
Rents are high in Sonoma County and vacancies are low. It's a great time to be a landlord, and a not-so-great time to be looking for a rental.
That's why we celebrate the local landlords who rent to our clients.
In the last year, we've been able to house hundreds of people--children and adults--thanks to dozens of landlords who believe in our programs and our participants. Oftentimes, these landlords could charge a higher rent but they don’t. There's no tax write-off for charging less than the market will bear, but these landlords do it anyway.
Sandro Rossini rents us several units in Rohnert Park for our Permanent Supportive Housing program for people who are disabled and who have been homeless for a long time. He rents to us, he says, because there is a huge need for housing—a need he can help meet. Also, COTS provides one solution to the problem that he believes in. “They are not wallowing around in theory,” Sandro says. “They are finding solutions and making them work.”
“I would recommend it,” Sandro says. “Go in with your eyes open because there are benefits and there are trade-offs. …The staff at COTS really wants to take care of tenants, make sure they’re stable. And that means they also want to hang on to the housing and keep the landlords happy. They’re responsive and good to do business with.”
Thank you, landlords! Every day you entrust us with your most valuable assets. We work hard to ensure that that trust is earned, but we recognize that you’re conducting business with your heart as well as your heads.
The Top 10 Moments of 2018: Business supporters
3. Business supporters
“Mankind was my business,” Marley told Scrooge. “The common welfare was my business.”
Trust and believe there will be no midnight visitations and clanking chains in our local businesses this year—or any year. They’ve been putting Marley’s words into action for COTS’ entire 30-year history.
We could say 2018 was no exception, but that would downplay how exceptional our business community is!
Our businesses volunteered, raised funds, donated goods, services, time and treasure.
Maria do Ceu, who owns and operates Out West Garage, is a longtime supporter. “We’re doing well,” she says “Business is good. We’re strong and we’re healthy. COTS reaches out to those who need it the most, and we’re so grateful to be able to help. It’s what everyone should be doing!”
The Top 10 Moments of 2018: Community fundraisers
4. Community fundraisers
There’s a DIY fever among our supporters. Hardly a week went by this year that a business, a community group, or some kids on summer vacation didn’t raise money for COTS. They did it through golf tournaments, arts and crafts sales, garage sales, lemonade stands, comedy nights, string quartets, craft shows, workouts, social media—you name it.
These folks raised incredible amounts of cash and awareness. Thank you!
The Top 10 Moments of 2018: Spirits that won’t quit
5. Spirits that won’t quit
“I thought this place would be depressing,” volunteer Ginny Schropp told us after working several shifts at the kitchen at the Mary Isaak Center. “But I leave everyday marveling at how hopeful and cheerful the people who live here are.”
Ginny’s right. In the face of the worst housing crisis in Sonoma County history, our residents live in hope, creating beauty and community.
Our grounds host a whimsical garden of flowers, plants, and found objects, designed and maintained by residents. Client art work is everywhere at our Mary Isaak Center and our Kids First Family Shelter. It ranges from tiny arrangements of rocks and leaves to children’s finger-painting to sophisticated works in pastels and oils.
Residents look out for one another, saving meals for friends who work late, playing music for one another, listening to one another’s troubles, lightening each other’s burdens with stories, encouragement and jokes.
They also dive into the toughest cleaning jobs with gusto. Debbie Preader says staying busy helps her keep her spirits up.
Our Human Resources Chief Cat Higgins says, “Gardening, music playing, flowers on the mantle; these are things I experience at my own home. So, when I see these same things at COTS, I feel a sense of calm. Like things are right, people are working as a ‘family’ to bring the simple joys of life into focus.”
The Top 10 Moments of 2018: Volunteers keep our doors open
6. Volunteers keep our doors open
Volunteers started COTS 30 years ago. Today, they provide almost half of our total labor—cooking, cleaning, gardening, repairing, teaching, playing music.
At any hour of the day—on any day—volunteers are working for COTS. They might be making meals in our kitchen, they might be patching a quilt together, repairing a bicycle cable, planning a car wash, writing a speech, organizing art supplies—you name it.
We could not do our work without you!
The Top 10 Moments of 2018: 30 years of community
7. 30 years of community
“Thank you for being there,” someone wrote on a donation check this month.
May we turn that “thank you” right around?
Thank you, COTS community. As we close our 30th year, we thank you for being there.
When homelessness burgeoned across the state, our community took a stand against human suffering. In 1988, grassroots volunteers galvanized huge swathes of people to cook, clean, shelter, encourage and mentor those who were enduring homelessness.
Congregants spread mats on church floors; business owners collected coins at their registers; scouts gathered blankets and diapers and clothes; service groups cooked meals; retired folks babysat so that parents could go to work. There’s hardly a business, a congregation, a community group or a neighborhood block that hasn’t pitched in over the years.
You willed this place into being and have stayed committed to the cause, donating thousands upon thousands of dollars and volunteer hours year after year. In our three decades, we’ve sheltered and housed thousands of people. Together, we’ve created opportunities for people and made our community a better place for everyone.
You are the sustaining heroes who make our work possible. We hope we’ll end homelessness in this country long before another 30 years pass. We know you’ll be with us on the journey however long it takes.
Thank you for being there.
The Top 10 Moments of 2018: COTS helps people stay housed
8. COTS helps people stay housed
“Find housing. Keep housing.”
That’s our motto, and that’s what we help people do. Because almost nothing is more disruptive to the life of a child or an adult than to lose a home.
Maybe you think of us primarily as a shelter. And we do provide emergency shelter to about 130 people.
But did you know that we provide the client-specific support necessary to keep to over 400 people in permanent housing? And we project that number will grow to over 500 in the next six months.
We tailor support to meet individual needs. One person might need intensive services and a permanently subsidized rent. Someone else might just need a few month’s rental assistance to become entirely self-sufficient.
A recent tally of our Rapid Re-Housing program stats showed that over 80 percent of our program participants did not access Sonoma County homeless services again.
Thank you for helping to provide the stability and opportunity that only permanent housing provides.
The Top 10 Moments of 2018: When people are housed, we all benefit
9. When people are housed, we all benefit
Rebekah Sammet was living in our Integrity Housing program when she agreed to speak at the Grand Opening of the Laure Reichek Housing Hub in July. She talked about how having permanent housing changed her life and the life of her two-year-old daughter.
“I’ve lived in our house with my daughter Rosabella for almost a year. We live in a large house with several roommates. I grew up in Santa Rosa and much of my extended family lives here. When I was a child, there was a lot of turmoil in my family life. We were homeless several times.
“I’m grateful that Rosabella, who is two, won’t have memories of homelessness. We had to evacuate for several weeks during the fires, and I noticed that the upheaval made her anxious and nervous.
“Seeing that, and coming up on our one-year anniversary in our house—I’ve been thinking…thinking about what stable housing does for a child and for an adult. I can see that for Rosabella having a home makes her secure. She’s fearless about going to preschool. She’s not clingy because she knows I’ll be there, and her house will be there at the end of the day. When we drive around town, she calls out the names of our relatives who live nearby. When we’re near Snoopy’s Skating Rink, that’s “Grandma Irene.” Bennet Valley is “A.J.” She’s at home here.
“For me, I notice that without the weight of homelessness, I can actually start thinking about my future.
“Since moving in, I’ve been promoted at my job at an auto parts store, and I’m able to really take stock of my talents and skills and think about what I want to do. I’m very good at helping people, and whatever my future holds I want it to include that. I know one other thing for sure: once Rosabella is in school, the future involves more school for me.
“Having a place to live has also allowed me space to pursue my passions and creativity. For one thing, I’m working on making a butterfly garden—something I’ve wanted to do for years.
“It means a lot for me to be able to stay here in Santa Rosa. Just like Rosabella, I feel rooted here. I’m glad that—through this office—others will get the same opportunity to stay. “
Since speaking at the Housing Hub’s Grand Opening, Rebekah has moved to a shared rental with family members. She just finished her first semester at the junior college, where she earned straight As! She is also serving on the Leadership Council of Home Sonoma County, the task force that is making decisions about how to allocate resources for the homeless throughout the county. “I am excited to put my focus onto the issue of homeless crisis in Sonoma County and help create whatever we can!” she says.
Thanks to your support, our entire county will benefit from Rebekah’s experience, energy and curiosity. Thank you!
