INVITATION TO SERVICE,
Inspirational stories
on homelessness
SKILLS AND SUPPORT:
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF HOMELESSNESS
Results-oriented workshops provide clients with skills in parenting, money management, mandatory savings programs, job internships and other life skills. Clients suffering from mental illness and chemical dependency receive assessment, treatment, referral, support, education and relapse prevention.
FULL IMMERSION:RESIDENTIAL PARENTING ENVIRONMENT
Families living in our transitional housing learn how to keep what’s best for the children at the heart of family decision-making.
CASE MANAGEMENT & COUNSELING
Supportive services include development and implementation of a family or individual action plan with a professional case manager who meets regularly with families or individuals to track progress and problem-solve. Clients suffering mental illness and chemical dependency receive assessment, treatment, referral, support, education and relapse prevention services. Read more...
RENT RIGHT
Working with Rent Right mentors, students learn what they need to get back under a roof of their own.Credit repair, budgeting, maintaining good business relationships — these are the real-life skills students learn and practice. Over the past three years, 89% of COTS graduates who took Rent Right found permanent housing. Read more...
WORK RIGHT
Job skills training and mentored internships to build economic stability
People need income to get off the street. Work Right helps them find and keep a good job and maybe even a career. We help our participants identify their career track, find a job, succeed and prosper. “Whatever it takes” is our motto — and that can mean individual mentoring, on-the-job training, an internship at our shelter, help with college applications or resume writing assistance. In our adult shelter, 69% of the residents acquired or maintained employment or other income last year. Read more...
FAMILY CONNECTION
Many families transitioning from homelessness don’t have the support of friends and family they need during this vulnerable time. Working as a team, our volunteers serve as extended family for a year. Whether the need is childcare, a ride to the doctor or just a sympathetic ear — this family connection supports families through the hard times and celebrates with them in good times. Read more...
HEALTHCARE
Many homeless people have suffered serious injuries that devastated them physically and emotionally. In addition to our on-site health clinic, COTS is fortunate to have many volunteer professionals who provide direct care or referral assistance. We provide state-of-the-art pain management and trauma workshops to address these underlying causes of homelessness. By reducing chronic pain and suffering we enable people to better cope with their other challenges.
AT HOME WITHIN
In partnership with Petaluma’s Institute of Noetic Sciences IONS), COTS provides free classes in yoga, meditation, tai chi, qigung, relaxation and other mind/body/spirit self-help and healing practices. Some classes run for a period of several weeks, while others are only a single session.
Click here to see the online documentary video about this program for more information:
At Home Within (9 minutes)
GIVING BACK
Many homeless people come to us lonely, discouraged, disabled, or afraid they might not make it. We require adults to “give back” to the community to build their self-esteem and confidence. When they connect with our community volunteers, clients find kindness and encouragement, friends and family. And many discover that helping others helps them too. Last year shelter participants “gave back” 9,615 service hours to the community.