Our coldest temperature last winter was -14°F. People experiencing homelessness walk an average of 10 miles per day, no matter the weather. Increased risks of physical injury, poor hygiene, and inadequate footwear have been cited as contributing factors to the development of foot problems. For the winter months, we partner with Gadue’s Dry Cleaning to provide people with warm coats, and this October we are tackling the next need – winter boots.
This year, the second year running, with your help we were able to provide 355 students with new backpacks and school supplies in a fun environment. Each student received a great abundance of supplies and a backpack to feel set for the school year. Similarly, to last year we had a bouncy house, face painting, lunch, hygiene items, outfits, and haircutters. This year we added ice cream, homemade cookies and lemonade provided by Emily Eden, a Storytime with 2 free books per child through CLiF, and other community partners tabling with information.
Thank you to our registrants, donors, sponsors, volunteers, and staff for making this possible. We had an amazing turnout for this year's event including 473 COTS Walk registrants, 97 volunteers, and over 1,500 Walkers. With your support, we raised an incredible $240,829.75. COTS Walk donations are a main source of funding for our shelters, programs, and services.