Campus of Change

Ending Homelessness in the Fox Valley

Stepping Stones

Posted on Aug 23, 2017 by
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.

Gary sought unemployment but soon the assistance ran out. He was about to be evicted. His employment gap was hurting his attempts for a new job. Running out of choices or options, Gary became desperate. The embarrassment, shame and feeling rudderless was overwhelming.

Then, gratefully, he met a member of COTS staff.

“It’s really a nice place. The staff is there to help with everything: job searching, resume building. COTS gave me the luxury of time to get back on my feet and sort things out.”
He flourished at COTS. He completed Financial Peace and Rent Basics. Through ServiceWorks® at Riverview Gardens he earned a job at the hydroponic greenhouse. “It’s a really neat opportunity; there aren’t many places in the whole world where I could get to do this.”

Recently Gary finished COTS programming but is staying connected through our Aftercare Program and Under One Roof, a permanent housing arrangement for former COTS residents who used to be chronically homeless.
“It’s been a godsend, I feel so lucky, it’s just about perfect. I am so thankful for COTS. When I didn’t know where to go or what to do, COTS provided nice stepping stones.”