Since 1982, COTS has provided emergency shelter, affordable housing and more to the Detroit area’s most vulnerable members. COTS’s mission is to create opportunities for families who are overcoming poverty to collaborate, thrive and succeed. We assist those families in building strong and stable households, neighborhoods and communities.
Nearly 1,000 people a day are provided housing and support through COTS — more than 60 percent are children. COTS’ programs include family-only emergency shelter for families; supportive housing with assistance for addiction, disability or illness; affordable housing; and children’s services such as learning labs to support academic success. Over the past several years, we’ve added drop-in childcare to help working parents and child development services for families experiencing homelessness.
In the course of working with Detroit families facing economic challenges, COTS recognized poverty as the driver of homelessness. That realization precipitated the development of our theory of change for disrupting generational poverty: the Passport to Self-Sufficiency™ (PTS). Through PTS, COTS’ focus is now exclusively on engaging families to develop economic self-sufficiency and stabilized environments that in turn create multi-generational impacts and ultimately break the cycle of poverty.
PTS is COTS’ poverty reduction framework used across all programs and projects in the organization. Using a two-generation, whole-family approach, we partner with families who are currently unhoused or at risk of experiencing homelessness to provide long-term services that are person-centered, strengths-based, and trauma-informed.
COTS’ approach through PTS assists families in reaching their housing, economic and career goals through coaching, mentorship and support. Families taking advantage of PTS overcome homelessness and break the poverty cycle for the next generation — and beyond. This research-based approach is designed to create poverty-resistant families and is the overarching framework for all our work. All our programs and services are provided within this paradigm-shifting framework.
COTS’ work is done through a lens of intergenerational mobility. Knowing generational poverty is often at the root of cyclical poverty, it is imperative to support, coach, and offer resources to not only the heads of households (parents), but to their children as well. To this end, COTS uses a whole-family approach, providing mobility coaching to both parents and their children.
To provide services, COTS works through a network of partnerships aimed at building healthy relationships. These relationships support the mutual growth and development of the whole family. They also support families to meet their basic, as well as their households’ needs. Partners are critical to these services and are the heart and soul of all we do.
“It takes a village to raise a child.” – African Proverb
We all play a part in the success of children in our communities. Consider partnering with COTS as we partner with families on their journey to stability and self-sufficiency. Visit us at cotsdetroit.org to learn more or to make a gift today. Together, we can break the cycle of poverty for families and “Create Opportunities To Succeed!”
Visit cotsdetroit.org to Create Opportunities To Succeed! You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as @cotsdetroit. And, please subscribe to our podcast, COTS: The Art of Family wherever you download your podcasts.
We know that there are many amazing charities that are deserving of your generosity. As you consider year-end giving, please consider partnering with COTS to build better futures. Know that the investment you make has a long-lasting impact on families and changes the trajectory for their children.
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