A Mother's Hope
Homelessness often means that an individual hasn’t just lost their housing, but their relationships and community as well. This Mother’s Day we are highlighting one mother and daughter for whom addiction and homelessness severed their relationship, but through healing and support from COTS was restored.
As a child and young adult, Diana was close to her mom Beverly. They did everything together, like shopping and going to the movies. But things began to change. A traumatic experience caused Diana to keep parts of her life secret. “I didn’t know how to talk about it and I turned into a very secretive person,” said Diana. Diana’s alcoholism further separated her from her mother and eventually caused Diana to become homeless.
“So, when you're homeless, for me, I was very embarrassed,” said Diana. “I knew that the minute I asked for help, I would have to stop drinking. And I wasn't ready at that time.” Beverly knew that Diana was homeless. “I was terrified, she said, “that's the only word I can use. I looked for her all the time.”
After a few shelter stays, Diana came to COTS. Through support and determination, Diana was able to become sober, get a new job, and gain housing. One day, after a few years of stability and sobriety, Diana’s partner suggested she call her mom. So, she did.
Beverly was beyond thrilled. “Oh my God, it was the happiest day of my life,” she said. “I was on top of the world. Anybody who knows me saw the biggest change in me you could ever imagine, because I always felt like I just couldn't be happy, not knowing how my daughter was. And to get a call like that…I just couldn't wait to see her. I couldn't wait to put my arms around her.”
Today, their relationship is stronger than ever. They are back to shopping, going to movies and more. “Our relationship now is wonderful,” said Beverly. “We love being together. We laugh a lot. We chatter away incessantly.” Diana credits the mental health support she received at COTS with not only helping her personally, but also helping her relationship with her mother. “Therapy, I think that was one of the biggest turning points in my entire life,” said Diana.
Homelessness doesn’t just affect one individual. The loss of connection can be devastating to families, but the connection doesn’t have to be lost forever. When meeting other families in this same experience, Beverly refers them to COTS. “The success rate, what they offer, it’s just wonderful.”
The COTS Collective: April 2023
New Beginnings for People’s Village Residents Moving into Studios at Montero
COTS is proud to partner with Burbank Housing in the provision of supportive services at our newest project, Studios at Montero. From comprehensive case management to job assistance, healthcare navigation, and social events with peers—these residents will have access to necessary resources to help them navigate their exciting transition into permanent housing.
Studios at Montero, located in Petaluma, will house 60 individuals who have experienced chronic homelessness in our community. Each unit comes outfitted with a kitchenette, bathroom, and studio living space. All units are fully remodeled, with four ADA-accessible units available. Every unit will be furnished with basic household furnishings, and every resident will receive a “Welcome-Home” basket filled with household necessities like food, toiletries, and cleaning supplies.
Studios at Montero residents each have unique backgrounds, experiences, and skills. Onsite groups and recreational activities will allow residents to build a sense of community and belonging in their new homes—this type of peer connection helps ensure each resident successfully maintains permanent housing for many years to come.
Seven residents will be moving from the COTS People’s Village project into Studios at Montero, a true testament to the power of organizations like COTS in moving chronically homeless Sonoma County residents into permanent housing. All of these residents have experienced chronic homelessness in Sonoma County, and for many, Studios at Montero will be their first permanent home in more than ten years.
COTS staff have worked tirelessly for the last six months preparing future Studios at Montero residents for move-in day. The COTS team is beyond excited to welcome residents into their new homes, and we hope you will join us in congratulating each new resident!
If you are interested in donating to a COTS program, or donating items to fill a welcome-home basket, please visit www.cots.org or email Diana Morales at [email protected].
Thank you for your ongoing support of our critical programs.We hope to see you at a COTS event soon!
Until next time,
Chris Cabral
Mission Moment: From Homelessness to Housed—COTS’ Integrity House Program Highlight
COTS Integrity Housing Care Manager Debbie Robbins
The COTS Integrity Housing program provides permanent housing options for individuals experiencing homelessness in Sonoma County. Residents receive case management services as well as other supportive services to ensure they remain safely and stably housed.
COTS is proud that over 95% of our Integrity House resident remain housed. This is a testament to the effectiveness of supportive services combined with permanent, affordable housing.
When Sheryl came to COTS, she was nervous about entering a new environment. “I was scared and angry,” she said. “I had never been homeless before and it was really hard to be around all these different people…”
Initially, Sheryl came to COTS through our Recuperative Care program. After receiving necessary healthcare, Sheryl transitioned to the Mary Isaak Center shelter. Sheryl understood the value of community and belonging and began to volunteer her time working in the COTS Kitchen serving her fellow COTS clients. Sheryl also began to attend COTS’ supportive groups including Qi Gong and Art Group as she focused on her own recovery and made strides toward her housing goals.
For several months, Sheryl worked alongside her COTS CareManager. She successfully increased and stabilized her income through Social Security and obtained a housing voucher through the Sonoma County Housing Authority. When Sheryl learned that COTS’ Integrity Housing program had a room for rent, she jumped on the opportunity to apply. By utilizing her voucher, Sheryl pays a small portion of her income as monthly rent, and now has a permanent place of her own.
According to Sheryl, “I feel very safe at COTS. I know that if something were to happen…that COTS would help me. I’m glad that I got into Integrity [Housing] because I’m not ready to cut the cord with COTS. I feel comfortable having my first place after homelessness being a COTS place.”
The entire COTS team would like to congratulate Sheryl on her successful transition into permanent housing. Here at COTS, we work tirelessly to provide wraparound services and innovative housing options for people experiencing homelessness. We will forever envision a community where everyone has a place to call home.
If you are interested in supporting our critical work in the community, visit us at www.cots.org.
Our Annual Report for FY 2021-22 is now available online. You can view it at cots.org or by clicking the link below.
Sincerely,
Chris Cabral, CEO
The COTS Collective: March 2023
Spring Forward – Sunny Weather, and New Opportunities
Now that it’s officially Spring, we have much to celebrate! Here at COTS, Spring means abundant sunshine, healing nature walks, fun community events, and new opportunities to serve our community.
This Spring, COTS will celebrate its 35th anniversary at our annual fundraiser, Hops for Homes. We welcome you to join us for dinner, drinks (non-alcoholic beverages also available), live music, and stories of our work in the community. This year’s fundraiser is on April 27th at Brewster’s Beer Garden in downtown Petaluma. Please join us to celebrate our successes, learn about our programs, and to meet other supporters like you. Get your tickets here!
Spring also brings sunshine, warm weather, and beautiful wildflowers peppering the green hills around Sonoma County. We recognize that connecting with nature can be healing for many—that’s why the COTS Social Supports Manager leads nature walks for clients to relax, recharge, and develop bonds with their peers. As the rain fades, clients and staff are excited to explore the natural beauty of Sonoma County once again!
Spring also marks the season of growth for COTS. March through May is grantmaking season, bringing new opportunities for COTS to best support those we serve. COTS is renewing its focus on a housing-focused approach to services, and that means analyzing our programs to identify existing service gaps. The COTS team is hard at work identifying funding sources to address these gaps. We look forward to providing an update on our growth trajectory in the coming months.
We hope that all of you have exciting plans for the Spring. We are honored to receive your support and look forward to seeing you at our Spring fundraiser!
Until next time,
Chris Cabral
Mission Moment: Volunteers Make All the Difference
COTS relies on a core team of volunteers who help us offer a range of services. From helping in the kitchen at Mary’s Table, to providing transportation, to assisting clients obtain documentation for housing, these volunteers are critical to our success in the community.
The work we do every day is hard, complex, and rewarding. Our volunteers know the feeling of serving a warm meal to someone in need, helping a family navigate housing resources, or helping a client apply for a job as they reintegrate into our community. They know the joy of getting to know our clients as individuals. This year, we hope to expand our volunteer opportunities to better enrich the lives of those we serve every day.
Do you want to help our amazing kitchen team prepare hot and nutritious meals every week? Perhaps you would like to help us pick up regular donations throughout the community?
One-time volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups are also available. Are you a musician or artist interested in teaching a class or performing at the Mary Isaak Center? Maybe you’re a Wellness Coach or a Financial Advisor interested in talking to vulnerable community members about small steps they can take toward self-sufficiency. Or perhaps your company or team is looking for a way to give back to the community together. Our volunteers come from all walks of life, and they all have unique reasons for their commitment to serving COTS.
All COTS programs rely heavily on community supporters, including our cherished volunteers. The entire COTS team is honored to work alongside dedicated, talented, and passionate volunteers every day.
Are you interested in volunteering at COTS? We would love to hear from you! Please reach out to us at [email protected] to learn more.
To our cherished volunteers—thank you for all you do.
Sincerely,
Chris Cabral, CEO
The COTS Collective: February 2023
Client Successes Make Our Community Stronger
In the last edition of the COTS Collective, I thanked Chuck Fernandez for his exceptional work leading this organization, and introduced myself as the new CEO. This month, I would like to take an opportunity to highlight a notable client story published in February.
This piece is an exceptional illustration of COTS’ work in the community—providing hope, healing, and support to our most vulnerable community members. While Bradley Brown’s story demonstrates what is possible through community supports and nonprofits like COTS, Brown’s experience with homelessness and the work required to regain self-sufficiency also highlights the complex systems and supports necessary to achieve long-term, positive outcomes.
In the last issue, I wrote about the importance of partnership in addressing homelessness. Brown’s story illustrates this clearly—without partnerships between the City, County, COTS, other nonprofit providers, law enforcement, Brown’s story could have ended much differently. These ongoing partnerships are critical in addressing homelessness now and into the future.
At COTS, we understand that supporting someone on their journey from homelessness to housing can be difficult and long. We also understand that people experiencing homelessness are members of our community—when our clients succeed, our community succeeds.
We are energized by Bradley’s success, and by the success of many other COTS clients just like Bradley Brown. I hope that after reading his story, you are too. Your questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome here. Thank you for your support.
Until next time,
Chris Cabral
Mission Moment: Improving the Housing-Focused Model
Over the last several months, COTS has implemented a housing-focused model at the Mary Isaak Center shelter. Our goal is to improve self-sufficiency for our clients—with a primary focus on successful placement into long-term, permanent housing.
Staff work one-on-one with clients to create individualized plans, ensuring various barriers facing each client are addressed in unique ways. In the last thirty days, COTS has refreshed its policies related to client enrollment in our shelter, aiming to improve each client’s ability to successfully gain permanent housing while working with COTS.
What does this mean?
Through feedback from people with lived experience and observations of other successful models in the Bay Area, COTS determined that monthly client assessments are an effective way to improve client engagement and increase the effectiveness of our programs.
Each month, Care Managers will work one-on-one with each client to assess progress towards their housing goals over the previous 28 days. We recognize that progress comes in many forms and is rarely achieved in a linear way—each person’s journey from homelessness to housing is unique. For some, progress means applying to jobs, seeing a doctor, or applying for an apartment. For others, progress means improving personal hygiene habits, learning new life skills, or reconnecting with family. COTS is here to support each individual client in their journey to self-sufficiency.
Through monthly assessments, Care Managers and care teams can determine whether a client needs additional services and supports, or whether we may need to alter our approach to better engage a client in setting personal goals and reaching milestones. Think of this process as reviewing a strategic plan—without consistent review and a willingness to pivot, strategy can fail.
Monthly assessments also allow our clients to set both short and long-term goals. Achieving one or more short-term goals each month often provides the motivation necessary for a client to continue their pathway to permanent housing. Celebrating the achievement of short-term goals also creates a bonding moment for clients and Care Managers—a client’s success is a COTS success.
As always, thank you to our advocates, our supporters, and our community for your support of our critical work.
Sincerely,
Chris Cabral, CEO
The COTS Collective: January 2023
Joining the COTS Community
In December, former COTS Chief Executive Officer Chuck Fernandez retired, leaving big shoes to fill. Chuck’s work at COTS left a beautiful legacy full of hope, determination, love, and kindness. I am honored to carry on these traditions in service to COTS and the larger Sonoma County community.
Homelessness is a complex issue—an issue that cannot be solved without community partnership, determination, love, and compassion. As the new COTSChief Executive Officer, I vow to work alongside our incredible team, and promise to ensure COTS remains a prominent ally in ending homelessness in our community.
Here at COTS, we are eternally grateful to bring light and hope to those we serve, and we couldn’t do it without supporters like you. We are inspired by the incredible changes we see within our clients every day, and I am excited to have the great privilege of writing this to all of you.
Please join me in a sincere thank you to Chuck Fernandez for his dedication and compassion, and a hearty cheers to enjoying his retirement.
I am delighted to continue to provide these monthly updates—your questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome here.
Until next time,
Chris Cabral
Mission Moment: Solutions Through Partnership
The issue of homelessness did not occur overnight. Permanent solutions take time, resources, and changing strategies to address the evolving needs of our most vulnerable community members. Lasting results demand strong partnerships between service providers, governments, and community members.
We are all part of the broad system of change—without robust partnerships and collective participation, the system fails.
Ask any human services professional about their work and you’re sure to hear words like “burnout,” “frustration,” or any number of synonyms for “tired.” This work is critical, and this work is hard. People in this field are dedicated, compassionate, and demonstrate a “do what it takes” attitude toward their collective mission.
Providers are asked to solve complex human issues with too few resources, often resulting in inefficiencies and workforce fatigue. Despite this, what you’ll find in this field are professionals who show up every day ready to ask, “how can I help?”
COTS is not alone in this experience. Our nonprofit partners, government officials, and community supporters understand the complexity and difficulty in addressing deep-rooted societal factors impacting chronic homelessness. This shared understanding means we can address these factors better together, unifying our efforts and expertise to best serve those who need it most.
True partnership is hard. It takes work, requires patience, and insists we listen to proposed solutions with an open mind. True partnership forces us to reflect on what we do well, but more importantly—what we can improve.
Looking forward, COTS is prioritizing and leveraging its partnerships in service to the Sonoma County community. By taking intentional steps to strengthen our partnerships with other providers, government officials, and community members, COTS can continue its legacy of accessible, quality services in our mission to end homelessness.
In the past month, COTS has increased the availability of mobile showers at the Mary Isaak Center by 50%. In addition, COTS has strengthened its existing collaboration with the City of Petaluma to best align strategic priorities, ensuring COTS clients and others without shelter have access to the services they need, when they need them. We are working with other experienced providers to learn new and innovative practices, and to share our best practices in serving this population. COTS, along with the City of Petaluma, is leading a collaborative effort to amend and improve shelter regulations countywide—a welcome change for our clients, staff, and those experiencing homelessness.
We are unrelenting in our pursuit to end homelessness, but we can’t do it alone. Envisioning a healthy, accessible, and prosperous Sonoma County for all—COTS will continue to lead by example by continually strengthening our bonds with existing partners, and welcoming new supporters with open arms.
As always, thank you to our advocates, our supporters, and our community for your support of our critical work.
Sincerely,
Chris Cabral, CEO
Lisa's Story
Eight years ago, Lisa came to the Mary Isaak Center for the first time due to domestic violence.
“When I came here, it was a blessing,” she says. “I was able to focus on healing, plus getting my life in order, because I was dysfunctional before I came here. They helped me to stand on my feet, get my self-esteem back, grow from my experience, and to be able to see that, as a woman, I could step out of it and be a survivor.”
Even then, Lisa was determined to turn her life around. “I ended up volunteering in the kitchen.…I went to school, and then I got a job, got an apartment, and moved out. Rapid Re-Housing helped me from there. And it lasted for a while. This time, I’m back again, not for the same reasons, but for some of the same behavior.”
For many of our clients, breaking the cycle of homelessness takes years of effort. But while Lisa’s setbacks have brought her once more to the Mary Isaak Center, her determination and self-awareness are helping her make a plan to get back into permanent housing. “I’m doing the same thing I did last time, because it worked,” she says.
She’s volunteering again in the kitchen, this time with the support of Executive Chef Janin Harmon, who is encouraging Lisa to get her culinary degree at Fresh Starts Culinary Academy in Marin, where Janin herself is a graduate. “Here, it’s so nurturing,” Lisa says, “and so different from any other place that I’ve really ever been. Because it’s like, you get a lot of love. You get a lot of tough love, but you also get experience from the other staff that has been here and done that.
“It’s a little embarrassing to come in all broken and talk to somebody that has book knowledge, because they really don’t know where you’ve been at. The staff here lets you know, ‘Hey, look, I’ve been there. And you don’t have to feel afraid to let me know what’s going on with you.’ So it’s easier to get a footing and a foundation, to be able to face the world again, with a different perspective, but a stronger character.”
Chuck's Virtual Coffee - September 2022
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).
My best,
Chuck
Transitions at COTS
We are going through two major transitions at COTS that will significantly improve how we serve those experiencing homelessness.
The first is our entry into Medi-Cal through the CalAIM program (California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal). CalAIM is expanding services available to some of the most vulnerable populations in California, including those experiencing homelessness. The intent is to meet the unsheltered and sheltered where they are – on the streets, in encampments, living in their car, or in a shelter – and then collaborate with health centers to provide services such as enrolling them into Medi-Cal, an appointment with a primary care provider, helping develop a care plan, and hopefully getting them stably housed. California is investing billions of dollars into CalAIM as part of their solution of offering a more equitable, coordinated, and person-centered approach to health care delivery. We are going to serve our clients through a whole new discipline – a medical model.
The second transition is a stronger focus on getting people housed. Thanks to a continued collaboration with our respected partners in Novato, Homeward Bound of Marin, we are moving from a traditional Emergency Shelter to a Housing Focused Shelter. Homeward Bound has an impressive 70% exit rate from their shelters into permanent supportive housing. That means when someone enters our shelter, our expectations are made clear immediately – “you are here to get housing – this is not a free hostel. If that doesn’t work for you, then this is not the place for you.” Then together, we will create a housing plan, and residents will have to meet with their housing case manager weekly. Accountability to their plan is key to staying in the shelter. Getting housing becomes a shared responsibility, but our housing case managers will not work harder than or do all the work for our residents. It’s their responsibility to get housing, and we will help them. This new approach empowers our team, and they are very excited about the possibilities. We are also aligning this new approach with the City of Petaluma’s Strategic Action Plan to End Homelessness and their Pathway to Housing.
We have a responsibility to our community to get people off the streets and into housing. Getting people stably housed is also a big part of their health care plan. And with these two transitions, we believe we can end homelessness.
These transitions won’t be easy. One of my favorite books is by William Bridges called, Managing Transition – Making the Most of Change. Bridges says that change is situational – such as moving offices, restructuring roles, or the retirement of key personnel. Transition, however, is psychological. For any change to succeed, getting people through the transition part is essential. He says that transition is composed of three parts:
- Letting go of the old way of doing things. An ending.
- Neutral zone – when the old is gone but the new way is not yet fully operational or doesn’t feel comfortable. This is also a creative zone where organizations can develop into what they need to become and renew themselves.
- New beginning – coming out of the transition where people develop new identities, experience the new energy, discover a new sense of purpose, and make the change begin to work.
Bridges said that transition starts with an ending and finishes with a beginning. For some on our COTS team, the work they do is personal. A family member, friend, or even they themselves may have experienced homelessness, substance abuse, or mental health challenges. Thus, we cannot impersonally manage the transition and treat it merely as a transaction or change. Sometimes it’s not the change we resist but the ending and having to give up something. We need to be mindful and respectful of the letting go process and the feeling of loss it might create.
Our New CEO
And…we have a third major transition happening at COTS. I am extremely excited about our new CEO at COTS – Chris Cabral. She is wonderful and will help lead COTS to new levels of success – locally and nationally. I was on the search committee and like everyone else, was wowed by her. The committee described her as smart, professional, highly capable with strong leadership skills, dynamic, lots of energy and positivity, humble, vulnerable, and innovative.
The committee was looking for someone that aligned with COTS’s values of integrity, respect, and collaboration. We wanted someone that could build on our wonderful culture, connect with our team members, and listen to and accept them for their strengths. During the interview process when she was asked what her vision was for COTS, she said, “to be the premier partner that people would call upon for help or guidance; and to be the ‘Nike’ of homeless service providers everywhere.” Her references came back glowing. People described her as “in tune with staff, mindful, collaborative, organized and meticulous, follows up, phenomenally intelligent, highly ethical, and does not cut corners.”
Chris starts on January 1, 2023. My last day with COTS will be December 31. I will make myself available to Chris for the month of January. I am also preparing a lengthy CEO Transition Guideline for Chris. WELCOME Chris. We are so excited for you to lead this wonderful organization.
Until next month,
Chuck Fernandez
Volunteer Profile: Katie Haas
When Katie Haas was growing up in San Francisco, kids used to knock on the door and ask if her Dad could come out to play. It might have hurt Katie’s feelings back then, but now she’s grateful for the love of kids and play that her Dad gave her.
She’s shared that love with COTS for over ten years in lots of different ways.
Right now, we think she’s in her perfect role. Katie’s a wonderful artist herself, who works in acrylics and collage, so we’re thrilled to have her as part of the art team at the Kids First Family Center. Once a week, she joins a coordinator from our nonprofit partner Drawbridge to help kids create paintings, sculptures, calendars, light catchers—you name it.
“I’ve loved art since I was little,” Katie says. “It’s been of core importance in my life. I think in our culture we don’t value it as much as we should. I’m glad I can show children that art is something to value and that you can grow from art.”
Katie says she grows from the art sessions, too, and singles out Drawbridge Coordinator Susie Butler as an inspiration. “She knows how to connect with a huge open heart,” Katie says. “I learn from her. She knows the right things to say to make them [the kids] feel self-confident. She’ll compliment them in a really honest way. She just makes them feel seen and loved.”
When not at COTS and not absorbed in her own art-making, Katie has plenty to do, much of with her family. She cares for her aging mom, volunteers with Hospice, helps paint the scenery at Cinnabar Theater, sings in a choir, and, together her husband Al (also a COTS volunteer) produces a small folk concert series in her living room.
Right now, Katie is creating a series of paintings inspired by her father’s childhood class pictures. “They’re from the thirties. I love how in those days you were just who you were in front of the camera. You didn’t smile because you were being photographed like people do today. You smiled because you felt like it. These kids, their expressions, you feel like you could almost read their minds. I feel really connected with them.” Visit katiehaasartstudio.com to feel that connection yourself.
Katie encourages people to give volunteering a try. “Being homeless seems really horrible. I think I just recognize that suffering people need other people. We all like to feel like we’re helping out.”
Thank you, Katie!
Show your support by donating today!
Want to read more stories about our volunteers? Visit our volunteer appreciation homepage by clicking here!
Share Katie’s story with your friends and family:
Volunteer Profile: Tracey Rose
Tracey Rose does a lot of planning and preparation for her art sessions at Kid First Family Shelter.
We have kids of all ages and interests staying with us, and Tracey creates a variety of projects to make their minds jump and their fingers itch. Sometimes, she’ll have a happy crowd in her workshops: joyful, focused kids drawing, pasting and painting.
But the families that stay at the shelter often have challenges around transportation or scheduling. And sometimes a kid will be there, but he’ll want to play a video game—not draw. So, sometimes Tracey will work with a smaller, quieter group.
The last time she came, there was only Angelina, a curly-haired 5-year-old girl who wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her afternoon.
“I kind of grabbed her,” Tracey says. “’I have lots of fun things’ I told her. ‘Do you want to do art?’” Like a true professional, Tracey gave Angelina a great time. She had three projects with her that day and Angelina chose to make a necklace. Tracey helped her design her pattern, string the beads and secure it around her neck. “She was showing it off. She loved it,” Tracey says.
“But I was feeling disappointed. When you’re planning, you always have an idea of how things are going to go. And this wasn’t it. I wanted more kids.”
Then Angelina asked: “Why do you come here?”
“It was great that she asked me that,” Tracey says. “I thought about it. She made me think about it. And I told her it’s because I love creating art and I love sharing with people. Her smile after that was so big.”
Then Angelina wanted to do more. They made a bracelet for her mom to match the necklace Angelina had made for herself. Her Dad teased and asked where his present was. Tracey and the little girl quickly made him a Valentine’s rock.
“My face hurt I was smiling so hard,” Tracey says. “To be able to give a child something to hang onto, something to create, the opportunity to say, ‘Look what I did and I’m giving it to you,’ that’s wonderful. It lifted her. It made her laugh. What’s better than that?”
We are grateful that Tracey gifts us with her talent, her joy and her flexibility. We are grateful for the lift she provides the kids at COTS—sometimes for many of them, and sometimes for just one precious girl.
COTS kids are not the only ones to benefit from Tracey’s generosity. You can find her reading stories in the children’s area at Copperfield’s once a month. She’s the one who brings in her own stick puppets and her felt board and characters. She’s also a volunteer for Verity, providing outreach education for grade school kids on the difficult topics of staying safe and being body aware. And she volunteers with Marin’s Bread and Roses, shepherding great bands to convalescent hospitals, schools, community centers and shelters.
She and her husband Jeremy are both teachers, but both have had long and varied careers, and Tracey has never been far from a paint brush, sewing machine or paper bead jewelry. They met at Cinnabar Theater in the 1970s. Tracey was starring in “Spoon River Anthology” and her soon-to-be-husband Jeremy was designing and running the lights. By the time the next production was in rehearsal, they’d married. Living in Marin, they raised two talented and “fierce” daughters. They moved back to Petaluma 14 years ago and celebrate their 43rd anniversary this year.
Thank you, Tracey!
Show your support by donating today!
Want to read more stories about our volunteers? Visit our volunteer appreciation homepage by clicking here!
Share Tracey’s story with your friends and family:
COTS Day Use Services for Evacuees
Dear COTS Community,
Please spread the word: Evacuees are welcome to use the Mary Isaak Center, 900 Hopper Street, Petaluma for showers, laundry, meals and phone charging. All services are free.
Showers and laundry services are available between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Please note that our washing machines are few, so you may have a wait.
COTS is now also serving three meals a day to anyone who is hungry. Meal hours are below:
Breakfast: 7:30 to 9 a.m.
Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Dinner: 5 and 6 p.m.
Volunteers Needed!
If you’re a regular COTS volunteer, we could use your help coordinating laundry and showers. Please get in touch with the front desk: 707-765-6530 x120.
We would be very grateful for the following donated items to help us serve the community:
• Towels and wash cloths
• Shampoo, body wash
• Bedding/sleeping bags
• Laundry detergent
• Toilet paper
• N95 masks
Thank you to everyone in our community who is pitching in to help those who have been evacuated due to the fires. Thanks especially to our first responders who are keeping us safe. Together, we are proud to be Sonoma Strong!