About COTS? |
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Background & brief historyCOTS was founded in 1988 in Petaluma, California, by Mary Isaak and Laure Reichek. COTS is strongly supported by the cities of Petaluma and Rohnert Park, the County of Sonoma and by the community as a whole. COTS is the primary provider of emergency shelter, shared housing and related services in the south Sonoma County area. Through our ongoing partnership with other Sonoma County homeless service providers, COTS is a key player in the local Continuum of Care. From our inception as an informal organization providing sleeping space for a few homeless men on the floor of a church, COTS now serves over 1,000 homeless children and adults annually, providing almost 40,000 bed nights per year. In addition to short term emergency shelter, COTS provides a variety of services and programs that help homeless individuals and families get back under a roof of their own. Because COTS was developed as a local organization, it continues to enjoy strong community support. Over 2,000 Petalumans (including 20 congregations, numerous businesses and service clubs) think that homelessness is an important issue in our community, and support COTS by donating their time, money and resources. A Community Responsenetwork, and then into our shared/transitional housing. This ensures continuity of service and strengthens the relationship between the case manager and client family. Business rigor with a nonprofit heart. Continuity of management and experience. Program evaluation, development and training. Job skills internship pilot program. The Children’s Haven. MSW On-staff. Housing Specialist On-staff. |