Phil didn’t have a job, a car or driver’s license, and living on the street was the next step. “I didn’t care about bills or anything. It was a downward spiral.” Fortunately, his caseworker at the Veterans Assistance Foundation recognized Phil as good fit for… Read More
Gary worked in construction. Then the housing recession hit and Gary was laid off. Gary got some assistance while he waited for his employer to bounce back, hire him back, he just had to wait for the recession to end. So he waited. And waited.… Read More
Jeremy has been a part of our Aftercare Program since 2014. He recently shared his success on the COTS Facebook page. “I moved into COTS from the Mooring house in Oct. 2013. I had only a bicycle and a temp job that I didn’t like. I… Read More
The following was written by a current resident of our Women’s Program, who is a student at Fox Valley Technical College working toward her paralegal degree. She continues to work while in school. I was in an abusive situation with family, got tossed out and… Read More
When Laura finally escaped the confines of the abusive environment she lived in, she began the process of taking her life and identity back. This is where the community and organizations like Harbor House and COTS were able to help. At COTS, Laura reignited her life’s… Read More
Speaking with Rory is a delight. It’s easy to see him as a natural leader and secure confidant. However, this wasn’t always the case. Before COTS Rory describes a different life. “I lived off negativity. I was in between jobs a lot and drinking was… Read More
Ben started using heroin for the first time when he was 16 years old. For much of his life, he’s struggled with drug and alcohol abuse and spent most of his 20’s in and out of jail. After completing treatment last year, he came to… Read More
Written by a former COTS resident who is currently in our Aftercare Program I was incredibly deep in heroin addiction. After starting drug court, I was ordered to have a drug and alcohol assessment. After my assessment was completed, the judge and my Probation Agent… Read More
43-year-old Evan came to COTS in May of 2016. He applied at COTS thinking it would be temporary, since he had some money saved up from previous employment. However, once connected with Partnership Community Health Center’s satellite clinic at COTS, Evan found out that he… Read More
A young adult resident is motivated to move his life forward 23-year-old Jake slept on his aunt’s couch in her basement for six months before he moved into COTS. He knew he needed a stable place to get his life on track. “I wasn’t moving… Read More