Every year in Sonoma County, about 8,000 people are homeless. COTS is the primary provider of emergency shelter, shared housing and related services in south Sonoma County and helps over 1,000 homeless neighbors each year.
During the last year, COTS provided:
- 44,000 bednights
- 500 life management workshops
- 6,500 meals
- 10,000 plus hours licensed child care
…and many other essential services to help homeless families and individuals to get back under a roof of their own.
Emergency Shelter Programs
Center for Homeless Children and their Families: A year-round emergency shelter for families with children, which accommodates up to 35 people at any one time, providing shelter, food and intensive assessment/case management services for up to 60 days (11,000 bednights per year).
Faith-Based Shelter:
Coordinated by COTS staff, 18 congregations provide companionship, food and up to 12 additional sleeping spaces to homeless families during the school year (2,700 bednights per year).
Winter Shelter:
Cold weather shelter for homeless adults operated by COTS five months per year. The Winter Shelter provides sleeping accommodations for approximately 50 adults from November to March (8,100 bednights per year).
Opportunity Center:
Multi-service day-time shelter. Provides showers, laundry, message center, telephone, mail and locker services. Staff provides assistance with employment referrals, housing referrals, counseling, assistance with chemical dependency and referrals for health care. Opportunity Center clients provide thousands of community service hours each year, thus actively giving back to the community (450 clients each year).
Top
Child Care
Children’s Haven:
Located at the Center for Homeless Children and their Families, the Children’s Haven program offers licensed day care and other comprehensive services to sheltered children and their parents, including parent training, counseling and assessment (190 children per year).
Top
Rebuilding Shattered Lives
Life Skills Training:
COTS holds results-oriented workshops in parenting skills, money management and other life skills. COTS also leads a team of health professionals from other agencies to address the dual problems of chemical dependency and mental illness. We provide assessment, treatment, referral, support, education and relapse prevention (700 clients each year).
Homeless Prevention Assistance:
COTS provides first months rent and deposit assistance for homeless individuals or families who are securing permanent housing (40 clients each year).
Top
Food For Families
At the Kitchen, faithful volunteers and staff pack boxes overflowing with donated canned goods, milk, pasta, bread, fish and fresh produce and deliver every Saturday morning to:
- 110 Families (500 adults and children)
- 60 Seniors
- And the program is growing steadily!
The Petaluma Kitchen
Nutritious, well-balanced meals created from food donated by the community
Serving lunch every day:
- 80 to 130 diners
- 30,000 meals annually
Top
Affordable Housing
Housing Services Program:
Shared and Transitional housing for previously homeless families and individuals using ten residences in Petaluma and Rohnert Park. This program provides safe, affordable housing in a mutually supportive, service-enriched living environment (23,000 bednights per year).
Top
Community Support
Thousands of people in Petaluma (including 20 congregations, numerous businesses and service clubs) think that homelessness is an important issue, and suppor
t COTS by donating their time, money and resources. COTS’ support base includes: congregations, service clubs, youth groups, federal, state and county grants, numerous private foundations, corporate grants, United Way, Petaluma Valley Hospital, and many more.
Wide-spread community support is also apparent in our active network of volunteers, and volunteers are an essential part of the COTS program. Many help out at our shelter sites, in the office or as volunteer caretakers at our
Hand in hand with COTS' deep roots in the community is the ongoing and invaluable assistance and partnership of the City of Petaluma. For many years, the City Council has stalwartly supported COTS both with words and with funds. Too, outstanding support has come from the City staff, particularly the Housing Administrator (Bonne Gaebler), the Director of Parks and Recreation (Jim Carr), and the Chief of Police (formerly Dennis DeWitt, and now Pat Parks).
Top Background
|
|
 |
COTS Fact Sheet |
|
I don’t know where our family would be today had we not been welcomed into the “COTS family”. Being there turned our lives around!
Without child care, I wouldn’t have had a chance to find a job. Now I’m working and I can relax knowing my son is in a safe, loving environment.
As a single dad it has been impossible for me to locate affordable housing. Thanks to COTS I now have a safe, secure home near my daughter’s school.
With a little help, a little faith and a little caring, broken spirits can heal, and dreams can come true.
I am touched by my work with COTS and grateful that I can contribute in such a meaningful way. |
