COTS INC

COTS offers a nurturing and secure environment in which our community’s most vulnerable can address the issues that lead to homelessness. Our goal is to enable individuals to transition to self-sufficiency by providing a safe, affordable place to live, food, household needs and training on basic life skills.

COTS changes the lives of over 80 individuals every day through individualized goal setting, community building and barrier removal. COTS is not just a shelter. Those enrolled in our program are lacking opportunities to improve their situation without some level of support. Most residents work at least part-time; those residents not working are required to complete 40 hours of meaningful activity weekly, such as volunteer work. COTS’ role is to provide a launching pad to self-sufficiency. Program participants set their own goals and provide the roadmap to achieve those goals with COTS support.

Currently, COTS has 4 specific programs: Single Men (18+), Single Women (18+), and Young Adults (18-24).

Men who do well in the program but need additional time to pay down debt may apply for our Living Debt Free Program. Living Debt Free participants stay at COTS for up to an additional two years while serving as mentors to our young adult residents. In addition, in December of 2014, we launched a new partnership with the Fox Valley Veterans Council to serve local veterans while they wait to receive their HUD Housing Voucher.

We are continually searching for new ways to best serve our clients. In summer of 2014, we launched our Learning Matters initiative, which helps residents achieve the level of education they need in order to be successful.

For the last several years, we have benefited from Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University virtual course. Dave Ramsey is an expert in the field and offers wonderful guidance and advice. One thing that was lacking, however, was the ability to interact with him or someone like him. Now, thanks to Alan Prahl from FISC and Lisa Werner, an independent financial consultant, we now have the ability to offer a live interactive five-week class which focuses on the resident’s individual needs. After the first four weeks of education, participating residents get the opportunity to work one-on-one with a financial planner to take a really good look at their future and to gain a deeper understanding of their individual situation. We are hopeful that this experience will provide the tools our residents need to successfully manage their personal finances.

Residents who successfully move out of COTS are invited to join our Aftercare Program, through which they receive continued support for an additional two years. No other shelter in the area provides this type of support for this length of time. To prevent another incident of homelessness, home visits are provided to Aftercare clients, along with periodic communication.

COTS’ main criterion for measuring success is the number of individuals who move out of the COTS program and maintain safe, stable and independent housing while participating in Aftercare.

The achievements of those we serve best illustrate our success: Jeremy had been in and out of the hospital three times due to his excessive drinking. The third time, he decided to go into treatment at The Mooring House. Once his time at The Mooring House was over, he moved into COTS.

Jeremy says that the biggest thing he learned while at COTS was about setting goals. His first goal was to find a full-time job. “I was able to save every penny to buy a car...that was a huge step in improving my life.” Having transportation opened up many more job opportunities for him, and he was able to secure a full-time job.

This past February, Jeremy moved out of COTS and into his own home. His best friend purchased a home, and Jeremy contributed his own savings of $7,000 toward the purchase.

Jeremy hasn’t stopped his goal-setting. He plans to pay off his final remaining credit card debt, and then save up enough money to either buy the house from his friend or buy another home of his own.

“I want people to realize that you can rebuild your life...The [COTS] environment made it possible to do that.”