COTS

🍽️ COTS Meal Ministry: We Have Lots of Openings! ❤️

Looking for a simple way to make a difference in the lives of your neighbors? Our Meal Ministry has lots of openings, and we would love your help!

Providing a meal is a meaningful way to support COTS residents. It’s easy to participate:

🏠 Choose the COTS shelter location you’d like to support.
📅 Sign up online for a date that works for you. https://appletoncots.org/get-involved/volunteer/
🍲 Prepare the meal at home.
🚗 Drop it off at the designated shelter on your scheduled day.

That’s it! Your meal helps provide a warm dinner and reminds our residents that their community cares about them.

Whether you’re an individual, family, church group, workplace, or group of friends, you can help fill a table at COTS.

👉 Sign up today and help us fill our Meal Ministry calendar!

Thank you for helping make COTS feel like home. ❤️

🛒 Wish List Wednesday! 🛒

This week, COTS is in need of a few everyday essentials for our residents: hand soap, body wash, and towel sets. 🧼🛁🧺

These may seem like simple items, but having access to personal care and household essentials helps residents feel comfortable, cared for, and at home while they work toward stable, independent living.

There are several ways you can help:

📍 Drop off donations at our Appleton location

📦 Shop our Amazon Wish List and have items sent directly to COTS:https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2MEY1UASIR8NW?ref_=wl_share

💻 Make a monetary donation through our website so we can purchase the items that are needed most

Every donation, big or small, helps provide the basic necessities our residents need as they take steps toward a brighter future. ❤️

Thank you for helping make COTS feel like home!

🏠 The journey doesn’t end when a resident leaves COTS. It’s where the true test of independent living begins.

After successfully completing the COTS transitional living program and moving into their own home, residents enter our Positive Placement Program—a three-year aftercare program designed to help prevent a return to homelessness.

COTS staff continue to check in with former residents throughout their time in the Positive Placement Program. Our residents become part of the COTS family, and family is there when you need support. These ongoing check-ins provide former residents with encouragement, connection, and support as they navigate life independently and work toward maintaining long-term stability.

Our goal isn’t simply to help someone find housing—it’s to help them stay housed, independent, and self-sufficient.

And it works. On average, 93% or more of former COTS residents maintain safe, stable, independent housing through our Positive Placement Program.

That is what “Ending Homelessness in the Fox Valley” means to us. We don’t just help people move out of homelessness—we walk alongside them to help make sure they don’t experience it again.

🏠 Stable Housing: The Foundation for a New Beginning

One of the four pillars of the COTS program is Stable Housing—because having a safe place to call home is the first step toward rebuilding a life.

COTS is a transitional shelter serving community members experiencing homelessness. Residents can live at COTS and participate in our program for up to two years, giving them the time, stability, and support they need to work toward permanent housing.

But stable housing means more than simply having a roof over your head. It means having a safe and secure environment where you can catch your breath, focus on your goals, and begin addressing the barriers that contributed to experiencing homelessness.

At COTS, residents work alongside our staff to identify their individual goals and develop a path forward. With stable housing as their foundation, they can focus on employment and education, financial stability, well-being, and building positive relationships and support systems.

Sometimes, people don't need a handout—they need a safe place to start again, someone to walk alongside them, and the time and support to make lasting changes.

Stable housing creates stability. Stability creates opportunity. And opportunity can change a life. 💙

📬 A Little Hug in the Mail! 💙

A huge thank you to Barb B. for thinking of our COTS residents and sending a generous supply of snack crackers!

Our residents were so excited to receive the snacks—and they especially loved knowing that someone in our community was thinking of them. One resident called it a “hug” in the mail, and we think that says it all. 🥰

Small acts of kindness can make a big difference. Thank you, Barb, for reminding our residents that they are cared for, supported, and part of a community that believes in them!

We are so grateful for the many people who find ways to show up for our residents. 💙

💙 Well-Being: An Important Step Toward Ending Homelessness

One of the four pillars of the COTS program is Well-Being—because leaving homelessness behind isn't just about finding a place to live. It's about building a healthy, stable life.

COTS residents are connected with medical, dental, and mental health professionals to address their individual health needs. But well-being goes far beyond doctor appointments.

Residents also learn practical skills for healthy living, including how to care for themselves, manage stress, make healthy choices, and build routines that support long-term stability.

When someone has spent time experiencing homelessness, taking care of their own well-being can sometimes take a back seat to simply getting through the day. At COTS, we help residents make their health and well-being part of their foundation for the future.

Because when you feel better, have the tools to care for yourself, and have support when challenges arise, you're better equipped to maintain housing, employment, relationships, and independence.

Well-being isn't a destination—it's a skill we can all continue to build. And it's an important part of helping our residents leave homelessness behind for good. 💙

Employment & Education: Building a Foundation for Independence 📚💼

At COTS, we believe that stable employment and education are essential to ending homelessness for good. That's why Employment & Education is one of the four pillars of our transitional housing program.

Every resident works with a Program Service Coordinator to identify opportunities that align with their goals. Whether it's earning a GED, pursuing a college degree, enrolling in a skilled trades program, or gaining new certifications, we help residents take the next step toward a brighter future.

We also connect residents with local employers who understand that a person's past does not define their future. Many of our community partners are committed to offering second chances, recognizing the value of hard work, determination, and the opportunity to rebuild.

A job provides more than a paycheck. Education opens more than doors. Together, they build confidence, create stability, and empower individuals to achieve lasting independence.

When our residents succeed, our entire community grows stronger. Thank you to the educators, employers, and community partners who believe in second chances and invest in brighter futures. 💙

To learn more about the COTS program, visit www.appletoncots.org

🧼 Wish List Wednesday 🧼

A simple item can make a big difference! This week, our shelters are completely out of hand soap, and we need your help to restock.

Every bottle helps keep our residents healthy and our shelters clean and welcoming.

There are several easy ways to help:
🩵 Drop off hand soap at any COTS shelter location.
📦 Purchase it through our Amazon Wish List and have it shipped directly to us : https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2MEY1UASIR8NW?ref_=wl_share
💙 Make a monetary donation and note "hand soap" in the memo, and we'll purchase exactly what we need.

Your generosity helps ensure our residents have access to basic necessities while they focus on rebuilding their lives and working toward independent housing.

Thank you for being part of the caring community that makes our work possible!

One of the keys to ending homelessness for good is having positive, supportive relationships. ❤️

At COTS, Pro-Social Connections are one of the four pillars of our program. We help residents learn how to build healthy relationships, strengthen their support systems, and connect with others in meaningful ways.

Homelessness can be incredibly isolating. That’s why it is so special to see friendships formed at COTS continue long after a resident moves into their own home.

Last week, while talking with a resident, I learned that they regularly carpool to events with a former COTS resident. These are the moments that remind us just how powerful lasting connections can be.

Having someone to lean on when life gets bumpy can help us manage stress and navigate challenges. And being there for a friend when they need a helping hand brings its own kind of joy.

At COTS, we believe everyone deserves a safe place to call home—and a community of people who care. We love seeing our residents build both. 💙

This is what COTS is all about. ❤️

One of our residents has stepped up in a big way, rallying fellow residents to join him in volunteering to help our community recover from Monday’s tornado. He has been encouraging others to get involved, teaching residents how to volunteer, where to find opportunities, and reminding them how rewarding it can be to give back to a community that has supported them.

Our residents are working hard every day to overcome challenges and build a brighter future. But they also know that no matter what we are going through, there is always an opportunity to help someone else.

We are so proud to see our residents not only receiving support from our community, but turning around and giving back. This is the heart of COTS—building stability, creating connections, and empowering people to make a difference in the lives of others. 💙

Send a message to learn more