COTS And COVID-19: Serving Our Clients During Shelter-In-Place
APRIL 6, 2020
COTS: Coping with COVID-19
This week, COTS published an overview of our efforts to meet the challenges of the current moment to serve our clients in shelter, in our housing programs, and through supportive services. We hope this helps our community understand some of the challenges those experiencing homelessness face and some of the strategies our staff are using to keep our community safe and healthy.
“While the full impact of COVID-19 is yet unknown, we do expect it to have an exponential effect on the homeless community. In Sonoma County, 68% of homeless survey respondents reported having one or more health condition, making them particularly susceptible to illness, infection and death than housed populations. Increasing the urgency, a potential economic fallout could drastically increase the local homeless count and create an even higher demand for shelter and services. As that demand increases, so does the need for stronger sanitation, adaptable facilities, and additional staffing.”
– From COTS: Coping with COVID-19
COTS staff have displayed a remarkable courage and resilience through these necessary changes, and we are grateful to everyone in the community who has stepped up to make our work lighter: by donating food, funds, and necessary items, by making masks, by volunteering, and in so many incredible ways. We will continue to keep our community informed as we respond to the situation on the ground.
Read COTS: Coping with COVID-19 here.
Report on the Sonoma County COVID-19 Homeless Team from Chuck Fernandez
People experiencing homelessness already have compromised physical, mental, and emotional systems. Living on the streets or in encampments with poor hygiene and dietary habits only make matters worse. For those coming into a shelter environment and living in a congregate environment, practicing “social distancing” is difficult.
So what is Sonoma County doing to address the homeless situation during these challenging times? LOTS. They set-up an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and a COVID-19 Homeless Team (Team) staffed with public health, medical, and City and County professional staff to direct homeless services and keep people safe. The EOC conducts twice weekly calls with all homeless providers in the County. We have several COTS staff on those calls.
The Team’s focus is on three areas:
• Mitigation Strategies, which emphasizes physical distancing and cleanliness. All shelters must comply with the six-foot rule. For COTS, our bed capacity will be reduced from 112 beds to around 56 beds to accommodate this change. The County is also working on placing 39 port-o-potties and hand washing stations throughout the County, including three in Petaluma.
The Team is also working on getting supplies to homeless providers – hand sanitizers, masks and gloves, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as soon as possible. Food insecurity for the 2,000+ unsheltered is also important, so a separate Food Team is addressing that issue.
• Overflow, which means finding a new spot for people displaced from the shelter because of physical distancing. Those over age 65 will be placed in a hotel/motel room. This process has already started in Santa Rosa.
• Quarantine, whereby the EOC is securing sites for people who need to be in isolation. There will likely be several sites across Sonoma County.
Things are changing rapidly and the EOC and Homeless Team are moving as fast as is humanly possible. They are taking this responsibility VERY seriously. By the time you get this newsletter, things will have already changed. We will do our very best to keep you updated through email, on our website at cots.org, and via social media. Thank you for your partnership as we rally around our neighbors experiencing homelessness at this uncertain time!
MARCH 18, 2020
COTS Update: Serving Our Clients During Shelter-in-Place
Following the shelter-in-place order issued by Sonoma County today, we are reaching out to our community to update you about COTS’ services and our volunteer program.
COTS’s programs and services to our clients will continue through the duration of the crisis. COTS and all homeless shelters are considered “essential” services in Sonoma County, and travel to and from COTS is protected by the order. If you read this week’s Virtual Coffee with CEO Chuck Fernandez, you know that we have implemented Virus Prevention Protocols for all staff, shelter residents, guests, and volunteers at COTS. We are committed to doing everything we can to keep our community healthy and safe while continuing our mission to get people off the streets, out of shelter, and into a permanent home.
At present, our kitchen staff are operating with a skeleton crew to meet the needs of our clients, and we are so proud of the way our COTS team members have stepped up during this time of uncertainty. We welcome volunteers who are healthy and feel comfortable prepping meals or serving our clients to continue shifts in our Mary Isaak Center kitchen. Other volunteer roles will be continued on a case-by-case basis, and if you have any questions, please reach out directly to Diana Morales at (707) 765-6530 ext. 136 or [email protected]. You can apply to volunteer with us here.
We also understand if you are a current volunteer who feels unable to complete your shift, either out of concern for yourself or others’ health and safety. If you cannot make your shift, please let Diana know at the contact information above. Please do not volunteer—under any circumstances—if you are at high-risk for serious complications from Covid-19, if you are symptomatic, or if you believe you have been exposed to the virus.
As we wait for news in the days and weeks to come, know that we are especially grateful for our COTS family and for the profound difference our donors, volunteers, and supporters make to our programs and services. Your investment is more important now than ever, as we prepare to serve not just our current clients but those who may need our services in the months to come.
Please consider providing immediate help to our community with a tax-deductible donation today.
We will continue to keep you updated as the situation changes day by day. Until then, thank you for the essential role you play at COTS and in the lives of those experiencing homelessness.
Volunteer Profile: Bike Repair Squad
“We’re a MASH unit,” says Matt Muldoon, who regularly convenes members of his bicycling club, The Petaluma Wheelmen, to come repair our clients’ bikes at the Mary Isaak Center. COTS hosts a huge percentage of the city’s bicyclists, and Matt and his crew make sure that our clients can pedal with ease and safety. Petaluma Sunrise Rotary, WeTourCA (a Petaluma-based bike tour company) and members of the Petaluma Wheelmen donate cash to buy the innertubes, derailers, brakes and other parts needed to make the event a success.
Show your support by donating today!
Want to read more stories about our volunteers? Visit our volunteer appreciation homepage by clicking here!
Share the Bike Repair Squad’s story with your friends and family:
Volunteer Profile: COTS Quilters
Every toddler needs a security blanket, their own little “lovey.” At COTS, those blankets are handmade, one-of-a-kind quilts made by the volunteers from Quilters for COTS.
“Those quilts really live up to the name of “lovey,” says COTS Case Manager Debbie Robbins. “When I see a toddler snuggling under their quilt, using it as a tent, or wrapping up their stuffed animal, I think of all the hands that touched each piece of fabric, all the love that went into it. It truly is a beautiful gift. I know of several kids who received quilts years ago and still cherish them. They don’t necessarily remember that they were living in a shelter, but they know that they love their quilt. And that’s a great thing.”
It all started back in 1993, when some members of the Petaluma Quilt Guild got together to make gifts for the kids at COTS. They’ve since expanded their mission to include our adult clients and the fire victims we’re helping from our Santa Rosa offices. To date, they’ve provided almost 3500 quilts!
“There are a lot of steps to putting together a quilt,” says Quilter Coordinator Ellie O’Connor. “Some of it we do on our own at home. But we get together at least once a month to put them together. All told, it takes between six and eight hours to put together one quilt.”
They rely on donations of fabric and batting—the more colorful the better.
COTS has strict rules about privacy and confidentiality, so the quilters never know who gets a particular quilt. And that’s okay with them. “I just think, ‘People will be warmer,’” says quilter Lillian Ruggles. “How beautiful is that? That’s all I need.”
To donate materials or to get involved, please contact Ellie at [email protected].
Show your support by donating today!
Want to read more stories about our volunteers? Visit our volunteer appreciation homepage by clicking here!
Share the COTS Quilter’s story with your friends and family:
Volunteer Profile: Hank
Monday nights, a mix of people fill our dining room. Some live in big, comfortable homes and make big, comfortable incomes; some sleep on bunkbeds in our dorm and earn little or nothing.
All of them share the same goals: to remain sober and to live well and honorably, relying on each other and a higher power for support.
The N.A. Group that meets at the Mary Isaak Center is aptly called, “Shelter from the Storm.”
“Hank,” the group’s secretary says the location works for everyone—people like himself who are housed, working, and have years of sobriety under their belts, and people who live at the Mary Isaak Center, dealing with lots of uncertainty.
“We’re all there for the same reason,” Hank says. “And every meeting at the MIC sticks for me. There are always new people to hear from. I get excited by anyone new because it’s one more person to carry the message.”
He tells the people he sponsors to “find something to be grateful for.”
In a homeless shelter?
“I always tell my sponsees, I’ve done time in correctional facilities. Anytime I wake up in a room where I can open the door, that’s a day to be grateful for,” Hank says.
Alcoholics Anonymous also holds meeting at the Mary Isaak Center. We are grateful that the recovery community reaches out to COTS and our clients!
Show your support by donating today!
Want to read more stories about our volunteers? Visit our volunteer appreciation homepage by clicking here!
Share Hank’s story with your friends and family:
Volunteer Profile: Peggy Iacopi
Peggy Iacopi has been volunteering for COTS for over 15 years! She started by cooking and delivering meals to our offsite Rent Right class.
Currently, she helps at Mary’s Table three times per week.
“I love doing it,” Peggy says. “I love cooking for people at COTS because they appreciate it so much.”
“It also keeps me out of trouble,” she says with an air of mystery.
She and her volunteer team don’t encounter too much trouble at COTS. That’s because they have over 100 years cooking experience among them. “We can pull something together out of anything,” Peggy says. “Bring it on.”
Diana Morales, who manages all our volunteers, says that one of her greatest joys is watch how Peggy works side by side in the kitchen with our residents. “It’s so important for our clients to feel valued and respected,” Diana says. “Peggy gives that in every interaction.”
Peggy moved to Petaluma in the 1963. Her husband Ed, whom Peggy lost in 2006, was a beloved coach at Casa Grande High School. Peggy worked for many years as the office manager for a local dentist.
Outside of COTS she is a Eucharistic Minister for St. Vincent de Paul’s Church, visiting convalescent hospitals and shut-ins. She loves spending time with her kids and grandkids.
Her advice to potential COTS volunteers: “Come over and try it. If you have the same feelings I do, you’ll jump right in. This is a joy.”
Thank you, Peggy!
Show your support by donating today!
Want to read more stories about our volunteers? Visit our volunteer appreciation homepage by clicking here!
Share Peggy’s story with your friends and family:
Volunteer Profile: Patricia Moats
Petaluma native Patricia Moats volunteers twice a week at Mary’s Table at COTS as a lead dinner cook. That means she comes in and takes charge just before our chef goes home for the day. COTS gives her an assortment of ingredients and a few suggestions, but she has wide latitude in what she and her team make for the evening meal to serve over 100 people.
“There’s a lot of creativity on the spur of the moment, and we really like that,” Patricia says.
A small farmer herself, Patricia puts a premium on using as many fruits and vegetables as possible.
She leads by joking, kidding and cajoling—not fiat—and laughter is louder than the clatter of pots and pans when Patricia is in charge.
“I hate to brag, but all of us on my team, sometimes we are so amazed that no matter how complicated and time-consuming a menu might be, we always get the meal out on time. We are ready to serve by 5 sharp. It just all comes together.” Every day, Patricia can count on at least one miracle to ensure that the meal is incredible. On a recent Friday, for example, some volunteers from The Coast Guard showed up out of the blue just when Patricia was short-staffed. “It’s a triumph every meal. We look at each other and say, ‘We did that!’.”
The triumph is not just culinary. “Every meal is a chance to help people feel better,” Patricia says. Recently, for example, Taco Night turned into a fiesta when volunteers streamed mariachi music into the dining room and residents and other diners began to dance. “It was spectacular! It’s the kind of thing people need.”
Patricia’s prep teams and service teams often include COTS residents. “This has been the best part of the job for me,” Patricia says. “If I didn’t volunteer there, I might still feel uncomfortable around people who are homeless. There are so many stereotypes. But I discovered that there are a lot of really nice people at COTS that have had some pretty bad luck or made some bad decisions. They’re wonderful people. They work hard and they want the same things I do.”
“There’s so much gratification in working with my team and with residents. All of it makes my life better. Whatever you give, you get back. If it comes from the heart, you’re going to get that back, and that’s just a beautiful feeling.”
An accident of fate brought Patricia to COTS three years ago. Newly retired from the U.S. Postal Service, Patricia was taking advantage of her freedom and rafting on the Russian River. Heading home, she took an illegal left turn and was cited by the Highway Patrol. She chose 16 hours of community service for COTS instead of a fine. “I had fun, so I stayed,” she says. She’s given us nearly 700 hours of her time and talent since then.
The rest of her time? Patricia swims, grows fruits and vegetables and does yoga. Most importantly, she helps care for her 7-month-old granddaughter.
If you’re thinking of volunteering at Mary’s Table, “Jump in,” Patricia advises. “You’ll have fun, you’ll meet wonderful people, you’ll get an understanding for what people are going through.”
Show your support by donating today!
Want to read more stories about our volunteers? Visit our volunteer appreciation homepage by clicking here!
Share Patricia’s story with your friends and family:
COTS March Newsletter: Congressional Visit, Spring Events, and COVID-19 Precautions
Celebrate Spring at Hops for Homes
Every spring at COTS, we look back on the past year and feel a bloom of joy for our amazing volunteers! Once again it’s time to celebrate the sunshine you bring to our clients at Hops for Homes from 5:30 to 8:30 on April 28.
Many thanks to Lagunitas Brewery which hosts us every year.
We’ll be joined by Foxes in the Henhouse, a great local band with a program sure to get you dancing. Anna B’s Kitchen returns with a delectable dinner.
The Active 20-30 Club is hosting a Kids Corner full of arts, crafts and games. Caricaturist Pete McDonnell will roam the crowd creating keepsake portraits. Plus, our raffle and silent auction include fantastic gifts from local theaters, wineries, restaurants, shops and artists. Stay tuned next month for a full list.
Of course, we’ll be following the Sonoma County Department of Health’s guidelines for sanitation and will have an abundance of gloves and hand sanitizers! Check our website for updates – and get your tickets at cots.org.
Homelessness roundtable with Representative Huffman
Last Monday, Congressman Jared Huffman visited COTS’ Mary Isaak Center to convene stakeholders in the fight against homelessness. It was an honor to welcome the Congressman and share our thoughts, concerns and ideas with such a passionate and thoughtful group.
The hour-long meeting included representatives from the healthcare system, the junior college, law enforcement, local government and agencies serving the homeless. Congressman Huffman asked for ideas about how he could direct federal resources to easing homelessness and the housing crisis here in Sonoma County.
Thanks to our generous and hard-working residents and staff, the roundtable discussion went off without a hitch. Our residents cleaned and shined every single surface at the center. They made way for visitors’ cars in the parking lot. They directed traffic and moved furniture. They greeted guests.
Our chef Janin Harmon and her crew of volunteers created a delightful mid-morning spread, featuring recently donated marmalade from LaLa’s Urban Farm Stand and cheese from Cowgirl Creamery. Trader Joe’s supplied flowers and produce. Everyone came together to make the event happen with short notice, and we could not be prouder of our COTS family!
Thank you to Congressman Huffman, his staff, and everyone who gathered at COTS to discuss the homelessness crisis. We believe that by keeping the channels of communication open and partnering wherever possible, we stand a much better chance of getting those experiencing homelessness in Sonoma County into permanent homes.
Health protocols in place
We at COTS are taking the risk of COVID-19 infection seriously. With 112 beds in our Mary Isaak Center shelter and non-residents still visiting our campus for Winter Shelter, the risks for our population are great. If you’ve ever visited the MIC for a tour, you know that there are only a few feet between the bunks at our shelters. People dine side by side in our dining room. In our permanent housing programs, residents share common spaces. And those who have experienced homelessness are more likely than the average person to have underlying medical conditions that make them more vulnerable to the virus if they were to catch it.
With that in mind, we circulated safety protocols to staff, volunteers and residents, and are cleaning and disinfecting like crazy! Through it all, we’re staying alert and preparing to make changes if necessary.
Let’s all protect ourselves and each other!
Time for a Family Center refresh. Want to help?
Over the last seven years, the nonprofit Rebuilding Together Petaluma has helped us with free repairs and with renovations large and small. They’ve donated labor and materials valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars. Thanks to them, we’re able to keep our shelters and five of our shared homes in good repair.
Their next project for us is April 18 when they and a group of volunteers will paint, re-floor, organize and deep clean our Kids First Family Shelter. We are so excited for the chance to make KFFS a cleaner, friendlier and more welcoming place for our families in need!
Rebuilding Together Executive Director Jane Hamilton is still looking for volunteers for April 18. If you’re free, you can complete a volunteer application at rtpetaluma.com.
Many thanks to you and to Jane and her crew!
Alphabet Soup
When our clients apply for work, we want to send them out looking sharp! But we don’t have room to store clothing. Many thanks to Alphabet Soup which provides us with vouchers to allow our residents to shop for interview clothing.
If you have clothing to give away, please consider giving it to the Petaluma Educational Foundation’s Alphabet Soup. For more info, please visit alphabetsoupstores.com.
Jazz for COTS!
Don’t miss out on the Second Annual Jazz for COTS benefit being held in Healdsburg on May 9th from 4 to 6 pm.!
The Windsor Jazz Ensemble, a 14 member jazz band, will be playing a tribute to Count Basie. This popular big band has played numerous events and stages including Chateau St. Jean and St. Francis Wineries and The Santa Rosa Golf and Country Club. The event takes place at an intimate indoor/outdoor cafe just south of the Healdsburg Square.
Tickets are $25 and include wine and beer, non-alcoholic beverages, snacks, deserts and of course lots of great jazz! Tamales from The Tamale Factory will be available for sale as well. This event is sure to sell out so get your tickets early!
Tickets are available at jazzforcots.eventbrite.com or by contacting Val Pustorino at [email protected].
Action Star: John Souza
When you think of the face of COTS, you might think of our CEO, Chuck Fernandez. Or you might think of Diana Morales, who enrolls and takes care of our volunteers.
But residents at our Mary Isaak Center think of our site coordinators, who maintain order and fairness and calm on our first floor.
And, because of his wit and his unflappability, John Souza is frequently the first site coordinator who comes to mind.
John started at COTS as a resident two years ago. He remembers what a relief it was to have someone show him the shelter ropes in a kindly way. He was fresh out of rehab when he arrived, and he was legally blind, unable to see more than two inches in front of his face.
“It was a scary time,” he says. “I just kind of listened and nodded my head a lot and followed advice.”
Now he lives in a shared rental, and he’s regained much of his sight thanks to surgery. “But I remember what it was like,” he says. “I think about it. I keep it mind.”
Site Coordinators have the most hectic and least predictable jobs in our entire agency. They hand out sheets and towels, toothbrushes, floss and shampoo. They answer phones and sign for packages. They welcome visitors and day-users.
But that’s not all.
Our residents are contending with trauma, stress, close quarters, and health issues. That means our Site Coordinators’ duties also include calling ambulances and mediating disagreements. They listen to people’s struggles and offer encouragement. They clean up messes, they communicate concerns to case managers, they remind people about the rules. Sometimes they have to call the police.
“We’re where the action is,” John says.
John has a comic’s rhythm and cadence. Even when he has to enforce a rule or deliver bad news, he knows how to keep things from becoming personal. He knows how to de-escalate contentious situations.
“No one is designed to live in a room with 112 other people. It’s a hard place to live. But I tell people that the longer they’re here, the harder it will get. And then I say, ‘Let’s talk about your housing plan.'”
He loves that the mission at COTS is to get people housed, that every interaction with a staff person revolves around housing.
“You can refocus people with that,” he says. “Does obsessing over what someone said to you get you closer to housing? Does what somebody else is doing get you closer to housing?”
“The rewarding stuff is seeing people find their path,” John says. “That can be finding housing, getting their license, calling their mom. The rewarding stuff is when people use COTS for all it’s worth, when they see the opportunities and take them.”
After an eight-hour-day, John shakes off stress by gardening. He’s transformed his backyard from a sandlot to a floral paradise. He also loves fishing. You may see him out with his rod by the Sheraton. If you do, say “hi.”
Homeless Count
While most of us were enjoying one final REM cycle last Friday, a dedicated band of volunteers visited waterways, freeway overpasses, fields, deserted streets and parking lots. They counted the people who were sleeping or just beginning to stir in their cars or campsites.
The annual point-in-time homeless count takes place across the nation by federal mandate. Most places in the nation completed their counts in January, but Sonoma County delayed so that it could devote its resources to ending the homeless crisis on The Joe Rodota Trail. The tallies from the outdoors count will be added to the tally of people living in shelters.
Many thanks to the 250 volunteers in our county who helped with the count, and a special thanks to the teams who handled the south county.
Working out of COTS’ Mary Isaak Center, the south county effort was made up of 12 teams who covered all parts of the county south of Rohnert Park. Our south county team included 17 people who have been homeless out of doors and who know where to find people. It also included COTS two outreach specialists, Randy Clay and Jeff Schueller.
“Jeff and Randy have been out talking with people for years and months,” says COTS CEO Chuck Fernandez. “They knew where to look.”
The count will be followed by a survey to determine demographic details of those who are living unsheltered. How old are they? Have they served in the military? How did they lose housing? How long have they been homeless? etc.? The more answers we get, the better positioned we are to respond to the need and to access government resources to help us.
Sonoma County goes above and beyond the federal mandate. This year, for the third time running, the county will conduct a phone survey to determine how many people are “housing insecure.” The county started this survey after the 2018 fires. Responses inform policy makers of current and impending needs. In 2019, some 21,000 people in Sonoma County were living with another household.
Stay tuned for the results of the count. Thank you for your concern and support for those who are in our programs or out in the elements. Together, we will end homelessness in Sonoma County.
COTS February Newsletter: Simple shared housing. Mission accomplished!
Va-va-va-voom: it’s Valentine’s Day
V is for “very,” as in, “Thank you very much for all your support.” It’s also for “Valentine.” And here is a young artist making a sweet valentine for all our supporters. She lives at our Kids First Family Shelter. Assisting her in her artistic endeavors is volunteer Tracey Rose.
Are the kids in your life feeling the love this February? Learn how even the littlest philanthropists can give back to our families in need, at “How Kids Can Help” on cots.org!
Nichole
No matter what your position is at COTS, your first duty is to encourage our clients as they struggle to find housing of their own.
New hire Nichole Bankson encourages with her presence alone: only a few months ago, she was a shelter resident herself. Now, after years of homelessness, she rents a room in Cotati and has a full-time job as our Food Services Assistant.
“She’s a living example of hope,” says Shelter Manager Robin Phoenix.
“I had officially had it with homelessness when I came to the Mary Isaak Center,” Nichole says. It was her second stay at COTS. “I was ready to be done,” she says. And she’s happy to help others be done with it, too.
The first tip she’ll share with current residents is to decompress a bit, take a breath and assess your situation. Nichole came into the Mary Isaak Center after years of camping and sometimes staying in hotels. “When you’re living that way, your singular focus has to be survival. Where am I going to sleep tonight? How am I gonna stay warm? Where can I wash? Where can I eat?” she explains. “There’s no way you can plan or save when you’re living that way.”
Taking care of your physical health is part of that decompression, Nichole says. “Once you take care of your body, you can start taking care of your mind.”
Next, “Set realistic goals.” Sometimes, Nichole meets people who want to regain everything they’ve lost in a matter of weeks. “If you’re trying to get to something impossible, you’re going to feel bad when it doesn’t happen.” Nichole’s goal while she was a resident at the Mary Isaak Center was to save money so that she could find a simple shared housing opportunity. Mission accomplished!
Her third tip is to keep a low profile. “I put in my earplugs and listened to music a lot,” Nichole explains. “All of a sudden you’re living with a hundred other people. There’s drama here if you want it. But I didn’t.”
Saving money is high on Nichole’s list. “Staying there was my chance to get ahead,” she says. “I took it.”
Finally, being a positive part of the community helps. Nichole would come home to the shelter after a day of work at an outside job and she’d help clean the dining room or fold laundry. That’s what led our shelter staff to recommend her to be a shelter coordinator. That shelter coordinator position led to her current job.
Working in the kitchen is a great fit. Nichole grew up in Santa Rosa in a family that valued fresh food. After high school, she went on to work at the Community Market, Sonoma County’s only employee-owned, non-profit organic market. She served as secretary on the Community Market’s board during the downturn after 9-11. She’s very proud that during her board tenure, the Market was able to avoid lay-offs, avoid touching reserves, and was able to start planning for expansion. Several years ago, the Market opened a second site in The Barlow in Sebastopol.
“COTS is like the market in that there’s a familial feeling,” Nichole says. “We take care of each other.” Staff and volunteers serve up to 8500 free meals per month in a fast-paced environment, so that’s important to her. Our emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables is another thing that feels right.
Chef Janin Harmon couldn’t be happier that Nichole’s joined her team. “She’s organized, she’s friendly, she follows through on what I ask of her,” Janin says. “You can’t buy peace of mind like that.”
Come hop, come dine, come relax and unwind!
The Lagunitas Brewing Company opens its garden to COTS on April 28 for Hops for Homes.
Please mark your calendars and join us. Foxes in the Henhouse, winners of the Norbay Award for Best Acoustic/Folk Band provide two rollicking sets of rousing tunes, tight harmonies, and expert playing. Anna B’s Kitchen returns with an even more sumptuous meal (included in the price of admission). We’ll have fun and games for the kids and a silent auction and raffle to tempt every taste. Memorialize the occasion with a fun caricature from Pete McDonnell.
Many thanks to Lagunitas for its commitment to local good causes. And many thanks to those of you who’ll be joining us. We promise a good time for a good cause!
Volunteer spotlight: Edgar Marroquin
We’ve known it for years, but now all of Edgar Marroquin’s colleagues know it as well: he is a super star!
Volunteer extraordinaire Edgar Marroquin was recently recognized by his colleagues and management at Subaru as a SubeStar for all his work for COTS. When he’s not selling or leasing cars, you can often find Edgar in our kitchen, sorting, cleaning, chopping and serving.
“That smile of his is from ear to ear,” says Diana Morales, COTS Engagement Specialist. “He can turn anybody’s day around with that smile.” Edgar works side by side with our residents and will frequently share a meal with one or several, listening, chatting, encouraging.
Giving ear to everyone comes naturally.
From his earliest years, Edgar’s navigated different languages and cultures. He spent his childhood in Guatemala and completed high school in the United States. Edgar spent many years working in San Francisco’s finest jewelry stores, catering to the people you see in the society pages. “There’s not that much difference between people,” Edgar says. “It’s just that some of us have money and some don’t.”
His past customers took pleasure in finding a rare diamond or watch; his current customers want a car that works for them. “At COTS, everyone smiles when they have a nice meal, prepared with love,” he says. “It gives me great pleasure to see that, to be part of that.”
And he’s not there just to make everybody feel good. “He is a do-er,” Diana says. “Technically, he’s there to sort our food donations, but when he’s finished with that, I see him cleaning out our dumpster area, cleaning the mats—whatever it is we need.”
Edgar started volunteering about ten years ago. “My kids were grown,” he explains, “and I didn’t have much to do on my days off, so I started to work at COTS.” Initially, he did office work, organizing and gardening at our Kids First Family Shelter.
Then we needed him at Mary’s Table and he answered the call.
Edgar runs marathons and helps care for his elderly mom when he’s not at COTS or at work. His life is full, and we thank him for sharing it with us and our clients.
If you’d like to volunteer, please take the first step by completing our application at cots.org.
Wendy
Some of you met our heroic Case Manager Wendy Lindberg at The COTS Hour in December. CBS New Bay Area recently ran a story about Wendy’s work at COTS and her exceptional parenting skills. You can watch the segment and learn more about her story here!
Spring forward with us
Business is booming right now at the Mary Isaak Center and at our Kids First Family Shelter. We’re serving dozens of extra people each night because of the rainy weather, and we’re doing a few much-needed repairs. But we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and we hope you’ll be there in the Spring to share your skills and talents with us.
We’re looking for volunteers to bring workshops, presentations, concerts, sing-a-longs, and craft sessions. If you’d like to share your skills and talents with our residents, please contact Community Engagement Specialist Diana Morales with your ideas. You can send questions, proposals and outlines to Diana at [email protected].
Thank you!
Social Capital for COTS
Did you know that we recently updated our website to enable our donors to create online COTS fundraisers to share with friends and family? It can take as little as five minutes to set up and personalize your page. You can share it via email or social media.
These fundraisers are a great way to raise funds to help us house the homeless. They’re also a great way to raise awareness and to give people the opportunity to help.
If you want to invest your social capital in COTS, you can click here.
Chuck's Virtual Coffee - January 2020
As COTS’ CEO, each month I take a moment to consider what I want our community to know about our organization and our progress in serving Sonoma County’s homeless. I look forward to sharing these thoughts with you in this Virtual Cup of Coffee – my monthly communique about the business and mission moments of COTS (Committee On The Shelterless). In the Business portion, I will share the nuts and bolts of what we do to serve the homeless – our successes and our challenges. In the Mission Moment, I will share stories about our clients and our wonderful staff who make it all happen. I hope you enjoy it, and I look forward to your feedback.
Go Niners
Chuck
The Joe Rodota Trail
Homelessness is complicated, unpopular, and controversial. We each have our own opinion about homelessness. The Joe Rodota Trail is a good example. How we got here is important so we can learn from our mistakes and not let it happen again. But how we resolve the Trail’s many challenges is another thing.
What the County is doing is courageous and a good start. They are doing the right thing by deploying trained professionals to the Trail – experts in mental health, substance abuse, case management, conflict resolution, housing, and more. A multi-disciplinary approach. The professionals also understand cultural competency and that those experiencing homelessness are a heterogeneous group of people each with different needs and wants and all with the desire for safety and security – the LGBTQ and more groups, youth, black and brown, veterans, seniors, those with acute mental and physical health challenges, women, families with children, and more.
My hope is that as we continue to make progress and positive change with the occupants of the Trail, that we also concurrently put plans in place for the other 93% of the homeless in Sonoma County who are not on the Trail. They too are important. We need a range of short, medium, and long term solutions all moving forward at the same time with specific timelines to implement. For example, we need a greater number of safe and humane managed encampments as not all want to go into shelter or housing. We need more shelter beds as a transition from the encampments to housing. We need areas for safe parking and for mobile homes, tiny homes, SLEs (Sober Living Environments), and more traditional housing units. Since the homeless population is heterogeneous, so too must the solutions be and the ability for each person to have choice and self determination where they go. A one or two sizes fits all approach does not work.
In the mean time, I support what the County is doing and the people doing the work. They are skilled, professional, competent, and caring.
We will get there.
Is there a doctor in the house?
People inspire in different ways. Some inspire through their high energy, their vision, or their charm and charisma. Others inspire more quietly, such as Wendy Lindberg, by being an example, by living their values, by having a steely determination and focus to succeed no matter the odds, by listening intently and by learning from others. Wendy is our Shelter Case Manager at COTS and she inspires me and many others by her quiet way.
I sat with Wendy to learn about her story. Ten years ago, she moved to California with her three kids. Through unfortunate situations, she ended up homeless and at the Mary Isaak Center for three years. That did not stop her from going to the SRJC for two years. It was also important for her to keep her kids in the same school as it was their safe haven and she wanted them to like school and not stress from always changing schools. She said homelessness is hard but not as hard as living in a bad neighborhood with drugs and violence, which she fled.
Wendy said everything happens for a reason and that life works out the way it is supposed to. She said part of her success is due to being patient, having the determination and ability to change, and to be open to other avenues that are right in front of you. Wendy loves working for COTS and she said she applied for all the open positions because she was determined to work for COTS and with kids.
Wendy graduated from Sonoma State. Her goal now is to get her Master’s degree but only after her daughter graduates. Her youngest is a senior in high school and has her eyes on some of the top Universities in the nation. Her oldest daughter is going to UC Davis to study pre-med and she knows that mom wants a doctor in the house. So her goal…is to be that doctor. Way to go mom.
Thank you Wendy for inspiring us every day. We are the ones that are grateful for your persistence and determination on wanting to work for COTS and with our children.
Until next month,
Chuck Fernandez
COTS January Newsletter: Hindsight is 2020!
We always knew it, but a lookback at 2019 confirms: you make miracles happen at COTS. Thank you!
Here is a roundup of your 2019 miracles.
Children playing with COTS volunteer Nick Harris at the Kids First Family Shelter
417 people in Shelter
In Sonoma County’s expensive and crowded rental market, shelter can be a godsend. It’s a place to catch your breath, to assess, to get help, to take action. With your support, COTS sheltered 417 people last year through the Mary Isaak Center and Kids First Family Shelter. Thank you!
Former COTS client Rebekah Sammet shared her story with us for the 2019 COTS Hour breakfast at the Petaluma Veterans Auditorium.
437 people permanently housed!
In 2018-19, COTS was able to support 437 people in permanent housing through a range of housing programs across Sonoma County.
After 31 years in the social services, we know that nobody gets back on their feet overnight. And no two people need exactly the same support to find and keep permanent housing. Thanks to you, COTS can tailor our assistance to the need. One family might need some short-term rental assistance and a little help finding childcare. Another might need a permanent subsidy and a COTS staff person to help with daily tasks. COTS staff, with the support of our community, is able to provide help across the spectrum of need – to meet clients where they are at and help our neighbors experiencing homelessness get back on their feet.
Expanded homelessness prevention and outreach services
As tragedies go, homelessness ranks high. Preventing homelessness by helping people stay in their own homes when times get tough ensures consistency and security for the whole family. These are must-haves for school or job success or for healthy child development. This year COTS expanded our rental assistance program to help families recover from illness or job loss without losing their home.
Last July, COTS also partnered with an anonymous funder to expand our free meal program to include dinner as well as lunch. That means anyone in our community experiencing hunger can save their precious dollars for rent instead of meals. And this past December, we served more than 8,800 meals – a record for Mary’s Table!
In addition, this past summer, we launched a new initiative to open laundry and showers to anyone in need, even if they are not a COTS client. This ensures that anyone who wants to come in, clean up, and get a hot meal has a chance to do so, even if they are not yet ready to move into shelter.
Unfortunately, at COTS we know that a lot of people who are living in their cars or along our waterways have given up hope. They don’t believe in the system. They don’t believe in themselves.
That’s why our outreach workers have a slow and steady, whatever-it-takes approach. Lead Outreach Specialist Randy Clay (pictured left) might start by introducing himself to someone who’s camping. Randy will offer some clean, dry socks, maybe a ride to a court date, a medical appointment or detox. Sometimes quickly, sometimes over many months, a connection sparks. That means our outreach team can bring people inside to safety, services, and better future for us all.
One example of this success is that COTS staff helped five people moved directly from the streets to an Integrity House – our home-grown, shared permanent housing program. Two of those people quickly became three when their baby was born right before the holidays.
Thanks to you, we were able to help 417 people last year through our homeless prevention and outreach programs.
Better together
COTS is not in this fight alone. The support of our community is essential to our work – we can only uplift our neighbors in need when everyone pitches in. And the more you help us spread the word, the more our community rises to the occasion! This year we have been honored by the partnerships that have helped refine and expand our programs and services.
Permanent Supportive Housing
This year, we were able to work with St. Joseph Health to provide 11 rooms of permanent supportive housing to chronically homeless people in fragile health. The rooms are on the second floor of the Mary Isaak Center, right next to the satellite office of the Petaluma Health Center.
The program is new, but we already know that it’s improved our residents’ health and reduced the number of visits they make to area emergency rooms. This saves money for both the hospital and taxpayers – and ensures that our clients are able to access healthcare before they face a crisis.
Recuperative Care
Thanks, in part, to the success of our Permanent Supportive Housing at the Mary Isaak Center, this year COTS signed an agreement with Kaiser Permanente and St. Joseph Health are partnering with COTS to provide six recuperative care beds for homeless patients as they are discharged from the hospital. These beds will provide a quiet oasis on the Mary Isaak Center’s second floor where people can get the rest and care they need to rebound from illness or injury. In recuperative care, clients will receive case management to help them access a shelter bed or housing if possible and support with their medications or other health concerns as they recover from their hospital stay. This should reduce the number of return visits to the emergency room and potentially save thousands of dollars per client per day.
Professional Development
We have staff members at COTS who are both dedicated and talented. And like any business in Sonoma County, we need to help them develop their potential. Thanks to your support, we are able to launch a program to provide management training to COTS staff and employees of Catholic Charities of Santa Rosa. This will help ensure that our teams are connected and performing at the highest levels possible, so that clients receive the best care we can provide.
Plans for the Future
With approximately 3,000 people homeless in Sonoma County, we have to do more!
- Stay tuned for more information about a collaboration with the City of Petaluma to expand our facilities and our permanent housing.
- Stay tuned for more information about exciting volunteer opportunities in programs like Rent Right and Work Ready.
Holiday Free Store
The Plaza North Shopping Center transformed into a satellite branch of the North Pole last month with a host of hardworking elves! Thanks to efforts of any army of volunteers and donors, we were able to provide holiday gifts for 121 low-income families. And thanks to the Plaza North’s site donation, the Free Store was really free.
Over 20 bikes, warm jackets too numerous to count, backpacks, baby dolls, picture books and game cards; notebooks, rubber ducks, airplanes and basket balls; jewelry kits, jump ropes, jigsaws, a jack in the box; board games, beanbags, crayons and teddy bears. We could go on and on and on.
Santa’s “nice list” is too long to include in full, but here a few stand-outs:
- 35 volunteers
- Gallelli Real Estate/Plaza North Shopping Center Management
- SMART
- Poker 4 Presents, Ryan Kelly’s annual giving miracle
- WX Brands
- Petaluma Sea Scouts
- Petaluma Valley Rotary
- Graton Resort and Casino
- Sax’s Joint
- Petaluma Family Dentristry
- Kaiser Nurses
- Margi Doherty
- Vegher Development, Inc.
- The Petaluma Argus-Courier
- K-MART
Many thanks to all of you who dropped off toys, clothes, gift cards, and more. You filled our hearts with gratitude this holiday season, and we could not be prouder to be a part of this amazing community!
More love and engagement
This December, COTS had to issue a first-of-its-kind moratorium on donations of furniture and clothing. That’s because after the Kincade fire and the holiday season, we didn’t have the space or manpower to process your generous donations!
We can’t tell you how uplifting it is to receive an avalanche of coats and cots, toiletries and towels. Or how lovely to meet a parade of donors everyday as they drop by the shelter to give. You made staff and residents feel wonderful and you supplied us with much-needed goods.
Thank you also to everyone who organized fundraisers and awareness campaigns, or who gave us your vote of confidence when you talked to your friends, family and co-workers. You expressed your concerns to elected leaders, resulting in increased government funding for homeless services. And we are especially grateful to our incredible volunteers – who make our services run and offer warmth and a smile to our clients when they are at their most vulnerable.
You invested in our work. You invested in our clients.
What are the returns on your investments? Here’s what Sam Yee, a former client and now a successful Exchange Bank employee had to say at The COTS Hour on December 5:
“Your support goes to an amazing organization that truly saved my life…
“My family, although filled with love, was not quite able to help me in a situation where I found myself feeling so helpless. I had no one to turn to, and I felt so lost as far as what my next step was. When I got accepted into Mary Isaak Center, I felt such a huge relief. I felt there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and it turns out- that light was even brighter than could have ever imagined.
“…you are helping so many lives be greater. Your generosity will create a ripple effect! Since COTS helped me so much, I always try to give back to COTS as well. I enjoy helping with the Holiday Store, serving dinner on weekends, anything I can to give back what was given to me. By giving to this organization, not only are you helping to save lives, you are also helping our community as a whole.“
Thank you for all the support you’ve given to COTS and our clients. Your partnership is essential to our life-saving work, and we would love to show you that work in person. If you are interested in a tour of the Mary Isaak Center to see learn more about our programs, please contact Jamieson Bunn, Director of Development at 707-765-6350 ext. 100. There is so much on the horizon at COTS in 2020, and we can’t wait to share it with you!