54-year-old Tom, a referral to COTS from Homeless Connections, decided living paycheck to paycheck was not helping him have a better life. For Tom, “budgeting is a big factor and goal in starting over.” The “structure” at COTS allows Tom to learn and apply valuable lessons… Read More
Resident of Veterans’ Program finds happiness and purpose Michael’s life changed when he hit a semi at 70 miles per hour. He was paralyzed from the neck down for 5 weeks. Due to the accident, Michael had to give up his 20-year welding career. After… Read More
Young adult resident gets his life back on track “I was kind of spinning my wheels,” Ryan says of his life before COTS. The now 23-year-old had, “a very sheltered childhood.” Once he went to college, however, he started experimenting with drugs and alcohol. “I… Read More
Written by a resident of COTS’ Women’s Program I came to live at COTS after being in treatment for my alcoholism. I knew that I couldn’t return to my old surroundings, so I made the decision to separate myself from my grown children and recreate… Read More
Written by Amelia Bemis I grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin and came to Appleton to attend Lawrence University in 2012. I started out as a music major, but realized that I didn’t want to pursue music as a career. After that, I ended up taking a few… Read More
Written by Krista Krueger I graduated from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh (UWO) with a degree in Communication, emphasizing in Rhetoric and Public Advocacy. I minored in Social Justice, concentrating on Social Activism and Women and Gender Studies. At UWO, I was a member of Women’s… Read More
Sarah O’Hearn first learned about COTS’ Meal Ministry program when she was looking for Thanksgiving volunteer opportunities for her and her husband. She found the opportunity on our website and knew she had found her calling. “I love it!” she exclaims. “For me, it’s perfect… Read More
Jeremy moved into COTS because, “I was homeless in that I would have wound up on the street.” 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… Read More
Written by John Polakowski As COTS’ Aftercare Coordinator, my activities and duties vary from one day to the next and tend to keep me very busy. Thus a typical day includes interaction with current and former residents. I do enjoy making contact and keeping in… Read More
“I separated from my parents and family because of abuse, and they did not want me anymore.” To the outside world, it looked like Amanda’s life was on track. She was at Lawrence University studying music education when her family’s abuse reached a new level and… Read More