Holiday Gift Giving at COTS!
Thank you for making the holidays special for children and families experiencing homelessness. Your generosity makes a huge difference for people in shelters.
Support the COTS Phonathon
Sign up today to volunteer for COTS's largest fundraiser of the year or make your annual gift online!
At COTS...
We believe in the value and dignity of every human life, that housing is a fundamental human right and that emergency shelter is not the solution to homelessness.
Transform lives
With your generosity, you can help get essential needs for those experiencing homelessness. Every purchase makes a difference.
Be the change
Help those experiencing homelessness find hope and a brighter future by becoming a COTS volunteer. Discover our rewarding volunteer opportunities!
COTS' Mission Statement
COTS advocates for long-term solutions to end homelessness and provides emergency shelter, services, and long-term housing for people who are experiencing homelessness or are marginally housed.
Our Services
Support for those experiencing homelessness from financial assistance and emergency shelter to housing navigation and long-term housing solutions.
Our Impact
COTS is the largest provider of housing & homelessness prevention services in Vermont. Last year we helped 1,366 people, including 317 children.
225
Households
including 252 adults and 159 children, received housing and services through the COTS Housing Resource Center.
161
Individuals
stayed at the Waystation, COTS' year-round overnight shelter, and received housing and supportive services.
405
Adults
and 64 children experiencing homelessness in area hotels received re-housing and support services.
53
Households
including 57 children, received prevention assistance and services to avert homelessness.
90
Households
including 65 children, received re-housing assistance and services.
24
Families
including 55 children, stayed in a COTS family shelter and received housing and supportive services. Specialized programs were also offered for children.
280
Individuals
visited the Daystation, COTS' daytime drop-in center for lunch, showers, laundry, and services.
Who is COTS?
Our leadership team and Board of Directors bring a wealth of varied experience to best serve our community.
Get Help
Receive personalized help for your immediate shelter, resources and support needs.
Give Help
Make a difference in the lives of those experiencing homelessness.
Where are we?
Our Locations
We operate 95 units of transitional housing and affordable permanent housing in the Burlington and Winooski areas to provide vital support to individuals experiencing homelessness in the area.
Want to get involved?
Ways to Give
Take action against homelessness in Vermont. We offer multiple ways for you to help support our mission.
Donate - Give online or by phone, mail, or EFT.
Wish List - Help fulfill the COTS wish list by donating hygiene items in person or on our Amazon Wishlist.
Alternative Giving - Hold a facebook fundraiser or purchase Cookies for Good to benefit COTS.
Give the gift of time...
Volunteer
You can volunteer for COTS in many ways, and we appreciate all types of skills and areas of expertise. COTS volunteer needs are constantly changing, so if you’d like to stay up to date on our volunteer opportunities, we encourage you to fill out our brief volunteer application!
We were not in the position to give a substantial amount of money, but we could give time, even if it was just a little. I love that COTS does not simply put a Band-Aid on the issue of homelessness. They help by providing specific tools.
— Jill Diemer, volunteer
To assist COTS in a small way in providing absolutely vital services to people, in a compassionate, empowering and effective manner, is a privilege that brings additional meaning and purpose to my life. In my career as a public librarian, and now as a volunteer at COTS, I focus on understanding the needs of our clients, matching them with appropriate resources and services at COTS, and doing so in a way that is welcoming and encouraging.
— Bill Talentino, volunteer
Read the Latest on Our Blog
Stay up to date on recent happenings, events, news, and more.
What does COTS stand for?
According to Executive Director Jonathan Farrell, “the world has changed drastically since COTS was founded 40 years ago, and we have evolved as an organization to meet growing needs in our community. We have grown from a committee tasked with creating a temporary shelter to keep people from freezing at night to an award-winning non-profit organization aimed at addressing systems contributing to homelessness. To better reflect who we are today, COTS has undergone a year-long process to explore our identity and brand.”
COTS Phonathon
The COTS Phonathon is our oldest and one of our most important fundraisers. Each year, the week after Thanksgiving, staff and volunteers call past COTS supporters and ask them to consider a gift to COTS again this year. Your volunteer work, donations, and support for the Phonathon are vital to the services COTS provides.
Upcoming Events
2023 Phonathon
The COTS Phonathon is our oldest and one of our most important fundraisers. Each year, the week after Thanksgiving, staff and volunteers call past COTS supporters and ask them to consider a gift to COTS again this year. Your volunteer work, donations, and support for the Phonathon are vital to the services COTS provides.
The 2023 Phonathon will take place Monday, November 27 – Thursday, November 30th.