Care Managers: Breaking Language Barriers

Ana Calles

29% of individuals experiencing homelessness in Sonoma County are Latinx. We sat down with Ana Calles, one of COTS’ bilingual care-managers to talk about how her position supports COTS’ mission to implement policies and practices of social equity that empower a diverse and inclusive environment for staff, volunteers, clients, programs, and the communities we serve.

What brought you to COTS? 

I was previously homeless and stayed in transitional housing with my child. I have always held shelters in my heart and have a passion for helping people. COTS has always been known as a great shelter, and they have many important programs that support our most vulnerable population. When I came for my interview, I knew it was going to be the right fit.  

 

Tell us about your previous experience. 

I grew up in low-income housing projects with all different types of people. I have always been drawn to helping people and can relate to many different situations. I decided to get my bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology as well as my master’s degree in Public Administration. I volunteered to advocate for childcare and early education and support low-income parents. I was on the Board of Directors at NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and a Warmline Specialist for a year.  

Tell us about a typical day in the life of a bilingual care manager. 

My day-to-day care management load varies. When I see my monolingual Spanish-speaking clients, I am usually working with them to try and find employment/income and/or citizenship paperwork. Working as a bilingual care manager, I am spending more time with clients, giving them rides to the doctor’s office, providing verbal translation, and calling Partnership for rides.  I also make many types of appointments and translate all paperwork and texts that clients receive in English. I focus a lot on job searches where the employer does not mention applicants needing a social security number. 

What are some of the biggest challenges facing your Spanish-speaking clients? 

It can be very challenging to navigate employment options for my clients because some are undocumented. They struggle to find an employer that will hire them without requiring a social security number verification. 

Most of my Spanish-speaking clients struggle to find employment and because of their citizenship status, they cannot receive government assistance, such as SNAP, GA, or SSI. These clients typically have to find an under-the-table type of job and still pay for a room to rent, as they usually cannot be referred to housing due to their lack of social security numbers. While it is a struggle to find them housing, I also make sure they have adequate resources by making sure our documents here at COTS are in Spanish. If they are not, I translate them. 


Donald's Story

Before COTS, Donald was living a successful life with a good job.  But as he said, “everything fell apart, and then I fell apart.” His relationship with his children wasn’t in the best place.  He hadn’t spoken to one son in almost two years. His daughter lived out of the state.

When COVID hit, Donald moved in with his sister, Stella, to be her full-time caretaker. Sadly, Stella’s health continued to decline and her son stepped in to move her to a care facility and Donald was told to move out.  But he had no place to go.

One of his sons told him he had to go to COTS.  It was near his work, so Donald could visit, and a stay at COTS would give him time to find housing.

It was a hard choice, but he decided to go to COTS.  Soon into his stay, he met with volunteers and staff in our Red Tape Club to get the assistance he needed to find housing.

Donald learned he was eligible for social security.  So, he secured his own ride to the Social Security Administration to get his card and secure his benefits.   He found out he was able to work and receive benefits, so he set his sights on getting a job.

Lucky’s grocery store is a close walk from COTS.  He spoke to a manager about getting a job and was told to apply online. “I don’t know how to use computers”, said Donald, so a Red Tape Club volunteer helped him fill out the online application and was hired immediately.

Donald had a strong drive to get his life together and get his family back.  That drive and focus became a real inspiration for several clients. “My old bunkie told me when I come here and see you it makes me know that I can do it that, I can that I can survive.” Donald was a great listener for fellow residents, many of whom just needed a listening ear, but he was also quick to tell them that they needed to put in the effort if they wanted to see a change in their life.

Eventually, Donald was able to secure housing right before the holiday season.  He hosted Thanksgiving for some of his friends he’d made at COTS.  As they sat down to eat, one of his friends started to cry – it was his first time having a family style Thanksgiving dinner.

Then, his wish to reconnect with his family came true.  His two sons came to his new place on Christmas Day.  He now has a daughter-in-law and a grandson in his life.  His kids told him, “We’re proud of you dad, we’ve got you back.”  He’s reconnected with his ex-wife, who recently helped get him to a doctor’s appointment.

Today he’ll tell people, “Thank God for COTS.”.  He tells his boys, “If it wasn’t for COTS, I wouldn’t have you back in my life.” He’s grateful that our founders had the vision to create COTS, so there would be a place in our community where individuals and families could get help. 

He recalls when his son first told him to go to COTS. “I didn’t want to go there, I told him please don’t do this to me, but it saved my life.”


The COTS Collective: September 2023


I am so grateful to have such well thought out healthy meals, I couldn’t heal properly without them.”

– Linda Guajardo


Mission Moment: Mary’s Table Needs Your Help!

Since 1988, COTS has served our community as one of the largest homelessness services providers in Sonoma County. Did you know that COTS also serves anyone in the community experiencing food insecurity? Every day, COTS prepares hot lunches and dinners for anyone in Sonoma County who needs a warm meal. This year, COTS will prepare and serve more than 90,000 hot meals to our neighbors throughout Sonoma County, ensuring everyone has access to hot, nutritious food every day of the year.

During the height of the pandemic, our kitchen operations had to quickly pivot to keep our community members safe. While preparing and serving individually packaged meals increased the workload on our staff, COTS was happy to make this shift to provide a safer dining experience for any individual or family needing meals. This shift also helped COTS provide a safe place for our clients, including families, those in transitional shelter, and those in our emergency shelter right here at the Mary Isaak Center.

Between 2020 and 2023, the COTS kitchen has increased the number of hot meals served to our community by more than 30%. This increase in need demonstrates the effects that the pandemic and historic inflation had on our neighbors in Sonoma County. This incredible increase in need has also strained COTS’ capacity to serve everyone in need, and we could use your help!

Mary’s Table is one of the most successful—and one of the busiest! —programs here at COTS. Without community support, COTS could never serve over 90,000 meals annually. If you are interested in helping COTS continue eliminating food insecurity in Petaluma and throughout Sonoma County, you can donate at our website at www.cots.org. If you are interested in volunteering at Mary’s Table, please reach out to Erin Krueger at [email protected]. COTS appreciates all support from our community, and thanks you for your interest in helping Mary’s Table!

 

Until next time,

Chris Cabral

[email protected]

Sincerely,

Chris Cabral, CEO


“I love the fact that the kitchen always serves fruit, vegetables, and salad along with the main meal as a complete meal is crucial for my healing process.”

– Ahmed Shaheed


“ The kitchen provides great meals, and atmosphere, that creates the opportunity for a whole healing experience.”

– Florence Cocoran


” Chef, and her team, play a crucial part in the healing needs of my clients, the meals that are created play a very important part in recovery process of our clients. I would [be] remiss not to mention that the meals created are tasty too.”

-Pat Higgins



Ensuring Stability and Hope: How COTS Supports Children’s Education

In a world of constant change and uncertainty, education stands as a beacon of hope and opportunity. For children experiencing homelessness, the importance of staying in school cannot be overstated.

Amidst the challenges and hardships that come with homelessness, maintaining a consistent education can provide a lifeline to stability, empowerment, and a brighter future. That’s why, at COTS, Care Manager Wendy Lindberg works so diligently to support children’s education.

When a new family moves in to KFFS, one of the priorities is their children’s education.  If the family is from out of town, Wendy will register their children in the Petaluma School District.  If the family is local and prefers to stay at their home school, she reaches out to that school district to start work on a transportation plan.

The McKinney Vento Act requires that school districts provide transportation for students experiencing homelessness and that may be in the form of a bus ride, gas cards or even a driving service like Uber.  It can take weeks for a plan to come into place, so in the meantime Wendy supports our parents by assisting with school drop off and pick up.

Wendy also helps our KFFS families navigate the difficult terrain of getting an IEP (Individual Education Plan) for children.  She helps families gather documentation, brings them to appointments and acts as an advocate when needed. She shared how proud she is of the families both at currently at KFFS and those recently housed who set up IEPs with her assistance and are continuing them.

We’re so grateful to Wendy for the incredible work she does supporting our families. By prioritizing children’s education, COTS offers our families stability and hope.

By investing in COTS, you are investing in the education of children, we are investing in a future where potential knows no bounds and where the cycle of homelessness can be broken, one child at a time. We invite you to support this life changing work


Volunteers Make A Difference!

While we believe that Wendy is super woman, KFFS is also fortunate to have community support from volunteers who go above and beyond for our families.  We have volunteers who provide after school homework assistance and organized-play.  It’s an incredible opportunity for community members to support our families and ensure that children stay on top of their schoolwork. Community groups like the Petaluma Valley Rotary Club and Active 20/30 Club also provide material needs to our families.  This August both groups helped provide backpacks, school supplies, school clothes and more for the families at KFFS.

This winter, more groups will come together to support our families over the Holidays.  To learn more about how your or your community groups can get involved, email [email protected].

Recently, a past client called to share with me the progress they were making with  their child’s speech therapy, thanks to their IEP.  It’s so gratifying to see our families doing so well.”  Wendy Lindberg


Ashley's Story

At COTS, we love to celebrate our teammates’ successes. So when HUD-PSH (Permanent Supportive Housing) Care Manager Ashley Lovejoy got into her first choice nursing program, the whole team erupted in a series of congratulatory emails. 

“I’ve always naturally been drawn to medicine,” she says. In spite of this, the journey to nursing school has not been simple, or easy. 

“I grew up on and off homeless my whole life, like my whole childhood,” she says. “When I was in high school, my family actually lived in a COTS house. So that’s how I knew about COTS, was my experience with them when I was young.

“I had a great experience with COTS and the caseworkers. They were very encouraging of me, [even when] my mom was encouraging me to drop out of high school when I had a 4.0.”

In spite of her mother’s drug addiction, and with the support of her COTS case manager, Ashley finished high school. She then attempted Sonoma State, but dropped out after taking on too many advanced classes. She got married, then divorced, worked in England and Denmark, and is now a single mom of four boys. 

After her divorce, she and her kids moved back to the States. “Within a couple of weeks of moving back here, I went back to school at the JC. And in a couple of years, I went back to Sonoma State and got my Bachelor’s in Sociology.“

Last May, her journey brought her back to COTS, when she joined the team as our HUD-PSH Care Manager. “I told everyone coming in that I wanted to work for COTS because of my history with COTS, and because I wanted to make a difference,” she says. 

Prior to working at COTS, Ashley’s love of children had always drawn her to pediatrics. But her experience working with clients in the Permanent Supportive Housing program quickly changed all that. “After working for COTS and then working with the clients that I have, building that relationship, I’ve decided I’m specializing in adult geriatrics now, because I see such a need,” she says. 

“I’ve seen with my clients, how fearful a lot of them are. [A lot of our clients are] very hesitant [to seek medical care] because they feel judged. I have one who, once he left the Mary Isaac Center, he refused to see a doctor. Any time he saw one, [he’d say] ‘They don’t care about me.’”

Not willing to give up, Ashley approached Nurse Annie Nicols, who gave her a personal recommendation for a nurse practitioner, and the client agreed to go. “Now he’s been getting medical care for his chronic conditions because of that trust he has in her,” Ashley says. “That’s part of what motivated me to go back [to school for nursing].”

For Ashley, having the Petaluma Health Center on campus has been invaluable in helping her clients. While she doesn’t know where she’ll end up after nursing school, “I would love to go back and work with the Petaluma Health Center,” she says. “My kids have always gone there, and I love the fact that they work with COTS.”

Ashley’s lived experience with homelessness gives her a valuable connection to her clients, one she hopes she’ll be able to bring with her into her nursing practice. “I can connect, and I’m able to build such trust with all of my clients now,” she says. “I’m in a unique position where if I were to come back and work with this population, I feel like I’d be able to hopefully be someone that they felt they could trust. So that is kind of my long term goal.”

When asked what her favorite thing about her job at COTS is, she said, “I love the people. Every every one of our clients have such interesting and unique backgrounds. I’ve got one that I’ve helped enroll in school, and he’s back to school for the first time in like 45-50 years, and he’s getting an Associate’s Degree. I have another one that is going to go to school to become a minister, that’s his passion. It’s really amazing to see.”

We are grateful to have Ashley on our team for the rest of her time leading up to nursing school, and when it’s time, we wish her luck on her next adventure.


Suzy's Story

Suzy’s Story 

Suzy lived a regular life.  She had a job, a car, and an apartment that she shared with her son. But after a medical event left her son with a traumatic brain injury and unable to work, it became harder to stay housed.   

Eventually, Suzy and her son became homeless.  “I’m from Petaluma, so I’ve always known about COTS” Suzy said, but it was a worker at Petaluma Health Center that encouraged the family to apply to COTS.  While her son began his journey to sobriety at COTS, Suzy hid her addiction to alcohol.    

Her alcoholism got the best of her, and Suzy had to leave COTS.  “I lived in a tent under an overpass for a month.  I was still drinking and was so dehydrated, I had hallucinations.  I had to go to the hospital. I was so sick and weak.”  Suzy was discharged and her son started bringing her the to-go meals COTS offers and eventually she started coming back to COTS for meals herself, applied to live at the COTS shelter again, and she made a commitment to sobriety. 

Suzy met our Head Chef, Janin, who listened to her story and encouraged Suzy to start volunteering in the kitchen.  That’s when things began to change.  Little by little, she regained her strength and sense of self.   

“They took care of me, I got stronger every day, so I could do more and more. And it became a family. And then it reached the point where I was doing it [volunteering] because I wanted to, not because it was air conditioned.  I was doing it because there’s such camaraderie in the kitchen. I had lost myself, and being here with people who care about you, and where you are giving back was, it changed my life. It allowed me a place to kind of heal and find myself. So, it’s a rescue story.” 

Today, Suzy is celebrating over three months of sobriety.  She credits the staff at COTS for making her feel supported and cared for.  When she’s not preparing food in the kitchen, she’s helping pass out dinner.  Suzy sees individuals she met while living in an encampment and encourages them to come inside.  She wants others to know that even when they aren’t sure about COTS, or when the journey back to housing feels insurmountable, that they should try.  “They’ve just forgotten that they can. Because I, I kind of did. I forgot that I could do all this. I can, even though I [was] lost. This says that it has nothing to do with my future. Again, I can set that aside and say from here, I can go forward.” 

Housing is Suzy’s next step, and she is hoping to stay in Petaluma so that she can continue to volunteer.  “I want be a core volunteer, that’s how much this place means to me.”   

COTS is so grateful to the staff who didn’t give up on Suzy and who are continuing to support her in her journey back to housing.  Thank you to the many supporters who made this work possible for Suzy and so many others.   


The COTS Collective: July 2023


Beyond Shelter: Pets at People’s Village

COTS is proud to offer various innovative programs to best help our clients every day. Each COTS client has a unique story, and all our programs are designed to be flexible in meeting the needs of those we serve. Programs like People’s Village provide interim housing to people experiencing homelessness—offering a safe and secure place for individuals to focus on improving their well-being and self-sufficiency.

Having pets can be a beacon of hope for those experiencing homelessness and People’s Village is one of the few temporary housing options available which allows pets, eliminating a barrier often faced by people experiencing homelessness.

 

Read on to learn more about our client Brandon, and his dog Izzy, in our Mission Moment.

Until next time,

Chris Cabral

[email protected]


Mission Moment—Who Rescued Who?

Brandon first came to COTS in 2017, but the challenges in his life kept him from permanent housing. Then in 2023, when he was living at a camp in Cloverdale, COTS Outreach staff shared with him about an opportunity to live at People’s Village.

So, he decided to give it a try.  Since animals are allowed at People’s Village, he knew he could work on finding housing, his recovery and rescue a puppy living at the encampment. Brandon knew he wanted to save one of the pups, but it turns out, she saved him too.

Brandon came to COTS using opiates but knew he couldn’t care for a dog in his current state.  He detoxed and gained his sobriety. Then went back to save Izzy, a special pup with two spots on her back shaped like hearts.  She was just three weeks old. Brandon bottle-fed her and cared for her around the clock.  She kept him busy and focused, two things needed to keep him sober.

“[She’s] kept me from going back out and doing stuff I shouldn’t be doing. It’s definitely helped me through those moments when you don’t really know who to talk to you, but these dogs are there. You know, there’s no judgment that comes from her either. That’s the greatest part.”

Brandon worked with his Care Manager, Stacie Questioni, on his individual action plan and Client Enrichment Services Manager, Eileen Morris helped Brandon, an army veteran, secure a housing voucher through Veteran’s Affairs.  “Eileen has been a huge help. The biggest help when it comes to housing… She’s a rock star.”

Today, Brandon is continuing his search for housing and working hard at taking care of Izzy.  He’s an excellent dog parent, keeping an active five month old puppy busy and well-trained.

Brandon’s ready for the stability of permanent housing, a home for him and Izzy. “My hope is to just keep it [housing], I’m done with being back on the streets.”   We are so proud of the work Brandon is doing to find housing and can’t wait for the day when he has a home to call his own.

Thank you for your support of innovative programs like People’s Village and our Client Enrichment Program that create opportunities for clients like Brandon.  We are so grateful of your support of our vision to create a community where everyone has a place to call home.


Sincerely,

Chris Cabral, CEO


Brandon and Izzy

Who Rescued Who?

Brandon first came to COTS in 2017, but the challenges in his life kept him from permanent housing. Then in 2023, when he was living at a camp in Cloverdale, COTS Outreach staff shared with him about an opportunity to live at People’s Village.

So, he decided to give it a try.  Since animals are allowed at People’s Village, he knew he could work on finding housing, his recovery and rescue a puppy living at the encampment. Brandon knew he wanted to save one of the pups, but it turns out, she saved him too.

Brandon came to COTS using opiates but knew he couldn’t care for a dog in his current state.  He detoxed and gained his sobriety. Then went back to save Izzy, a special pup with two spots on her back shaped like hearts.  She was just three weeks old. Brandon bottle-fed her and cared for her around the clock.  She kept him busy and focused, two things needed to keep him sober.

“[She’s] kept me from going back out and doing stuff I shouldn’t be doing. It’s definitely helped me through those moments when you don’t really know who to talk to you, but these dogs are there. You know, there’s no judgment that comes from her either. That’s the greatest part.”

Brandon worked with his Care Manager, Stacie Questioni, on his individual action plan and Client Enrichment Services Manager, Eileen Morris helped Brandon, an army veteran, secure a housing voucher through Veteran’s Affairs.  “Eileen has been a huge help. The biggest help when it comes to housing… She’s a rock star.”

Today, Brandon is continuing his search for housing and working hard at taking care of Izzy.  He’s an excellent dog parent, keeping an active five month old puppy busy and well-trained.

Brandon’s ready for the stability of permanent housing, a home for him and Izzy. “My hope is to just keep it [housing], I’m done with being back on the streets.”   We are so proud of the work Brandon is doing to find housing and can’t wait for the day when he has a home to call his own.

Thank you for your support of innovative programs like People’s Village and our Client Enrichment Program that create opportunities for clients like Brandon.  We are so grateful of your support of our vision to create a community where everyone has a place to call home.

STORY UPDATE: November 2023

This month, Brandon and Izzy have moved out of COTS People’s Village housing and into Windsor Veteran’s Village, a supportive, veteran-focused housing community. We are so proud of all your hard work, Brandon!

 

A shout out to Stacie Questoni, Nora Vetter, Randy Clay, and all of our teammembers at COTS who worked together with Brandon to see him through to housing of his own!

 

Pictured below is Brandon (left) and Stacie Questoni,  COTS’ People’s Village Services Manager, (right) in front of Brandon’s new residence.


The COTS Collective: June 2023


Celebrating Six Months

In January, I stepped into the COTS Chief Executive Officer role following Chuck Fernandez. Chuck left big shoes to fill and had built an incredible team of professionals to move the COTS mission forward. I wanted to take a moment to thank Chuck for his work here at COTS, and to celebrate the first six months of 2023. We have already accomplished so much!

So far in 2023, the COTS team has updated its program policies to be more inclusive, helping our clients achieve greater success on their unique pathways to housing. We have laid the foundation for a large expansion of both our Recuperative Care program, and our Permanent Supportive Housing program. By Spring of 2024, COTS will have expanded its Recuperative Care capacity by more than 200% and will have added 14 new units of permanent supportive housing in Sonoma County. The COTS team held its first in-person fundraiser since 2019, strengthened its community partnerships, and worked alongside Burbank Housing in the opening of a new 60-unit permanent supportive housing project in Petaluma. We have onboarded several talented team members, started a new 5-year strategic plan, and increased our capacity to serve each unique client in ways most meaningful to them.

We are looking forward to our next six months. If you are interested in joining us as a volunteer, donating to our critical mission, or learning more about upcoming events, please visit our website at www.cots.org.

Until next time,

Chris Cabral

[email protected]


Mission Moment—A Staff Highlight: Stacie Questoni

COTS could not accomplish all we do without an incredible team of dedicated staff members. We want to take a moment to celebrate Stacie Questoni, the People’s Village Services Manager. Since 2020, Stacie has been an invaluable member of the COTS team.

Ask anyone at COTS about Stacie and you’re sure to elicit smiles, laughter, and words of genuine love and camaraderie. Stacie helps our clients navigate their pathway to housing and has worked to help dozens of unsheltered community members find permanent housing right here in Sonoma County.

We asked Stacie to share a bit about herself and her work at COTS. Keep reading to learn more about Stacie’s passion for our work.

What do you love most about working at COTS?

First and foremost, I love the mission of COTS. I love the collaboration I have with my community partners, my coworkers, and my incredible boss. I love being in the role of helping others help themselves, giving them the tools and services they need to make better life decisions and seeing them blossom. COTS has a family feel to it and they care about you as a person and put your self-care as a priority.

Can you tell us about a recent client success story?

We have had many success stories in the short time People’s Village has been open. We have had 63 residents come through the program and 18 of those residents have been housed since the inception of the program March 2021.

One gentleman who has been highly resistant to services finally agreed to come into People’s Village. He stayed in our program for longer than a year, getting his medical issues taken care of, and working with VA. Due to the flexibility of our program, he was able to have the time he needed to work on those issues and COTS was able to get his VA discharge corrected so he could qualify for a VA housing voucher. Now, he is housed!

A female resident who has been unsheltered in the community since 2009 finally decided to come to COTS for services. She worked with staff to address her substance use, and after extensive engagements and a stay at People’s Village, she now has permanent housing at the new Studios at Montero program in Petaluma, CA.

What hobbies do you have outside of work?

Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my two adult sons, Dario and Luca. I enjoy traveling, (last year I went to Guatemala and New York, this year Boston and to be determined) spending time with my friends, hiking, camping, listening to live music, spa days, gardening, reading, and watching documentaries.

What would you like to see for People’s Village in the next three years?

I would like to see more mental health resources at People’s Village and in the community. I would also love to see an expansion of the program by adding additional tiny homes for people in need.

A big thanks to Stacie for all of her hard work and compassionate care to those we serve. Keep up the amazing work, Stacie!


Sincerely,

Chris Cabral, CEO


The COTS Collective: May 2023


Celebrating a Successful Hops for Homes Fundraiser

In April, COTS hosted its annual Hops for Homes fundraiser at Brewster’s Beer Garden in downtown Petaluma. We are incredibly grateful to those who came to the event, and humbled by those who continue to show such strong support for our critical programs. We raised over $95,000 and enjoyed a fun-filled evening celebrating COTS’ 35th anniversary. All funds raised are used to provide essential services, programs, and resources to individuals and families experiencing homelessness in our community.

Hops for Homes brought together community members, elected officials, volunteers, staff members, and generous donors who are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of those in need. We shared stories of hope and resilience, highlighting the continued need for innovative solutions to ending homelessness in Sonoma County. The event was a resounding success—many attendees expressed their support and enthusiasm for COTS’ mission and thanked our speakers for sharing their inspiring stories.

“We are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming support we received at this year’s fundraiser,” said Erin Krueger, Development Director at COTS. “The funds raised will enable us to continue providing vital services and resources to those experiencing homelessness in Petaluma and the rest of Sonoma County. Together, we are making a significant difference in the lives of individuals and families, helping them move toward self-sufficiency and a brighter future.

To learn more about the services COTS offers, please visit our website here.

On behalf of COTS, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all event attendees, donors, volunteers, staff, and community partners who contributed to the success of Hops for Homes. Your generosity and dedication exemplify the spirit of compassion and unity that defines the Sonoma County community.

We hope to see all of you at next year’s fundraiser!

Until next time,

Chris Cabral


Mission Moment—Studios at Montero Brings Hope for New Tenants

“Welcome Home” balloons greeted clients – along with staff from COTS and Burbank Housing – at the Studios at Montero soft opening earlier this month

Studios at Montero is the conversion of a 50-year-old motel into 60 units of permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless people in Sonoma County. COTS is thrilled to partner with Burbank Housing and the City of Petaluma on this incredible project.

Studios at Montero (“SAM”) officially welcomed the first tenants earlier this month. All 60 units at SAM are fully remodeled studio units which come fully furnished. All new tenants also receive a welcome-home basket full of household goods to help ensure a successful and warm transition into their new homes.

COTS is proud to offer long-term, wraparound supportive services at this project, ensuring tenants feel safe and supported during their transition into permanent housing. Tenants are offered comprehensive case management, peer support services, access to onsite and offsite group recreation, healthcare coordination, and many other supportive services to help create a sense of safety, self-sufficiency, and instill confidence.

Projects like Studios at Montero bring hope to those experiencing homelessness right here in Sonoma County. Here at COTS, we have an immense sense of pride in serving our community, and we thank you for your continued support in upholding our mission.


Sincerely,

Chris Cabral, CEO