THE COMMITTEE ON TEMPORARY SHELTER VOL. 32, NO. 2 www.cotsonline.org FALL 2014 GIVE the giFT that Keeps on giVing Alternative shopping Preventing homelessness ideas from COTS begins with children Send a Katharine Montstream holiday COTS advocates to end homelessness by preventing the crisis from ever card: Make a minimum $10 donation to COTS happening. And, one way we do this is by working with children in COTS in someone’s name, and we’ll send the recipient programs. a beautiful Katharine Montstream card with this message: “A generous donation has been made In 2014, COTS served 127 children in our family shelters. These are to the Committee on Temporary Shelter in your children who have frequently experienced repeated upheavals; many have name. This gift of warmth and shelter will help specific developmental needs that require special attention. families and individuals who are experiencing Our goal is to serve children now, and take action to prevent them from the crisis of homelessness make it through the being a risk for homelessness in the future. Homelessness is not just a harsh winter months. Happy holidays and best financial crisis but also an early education issue. wishes for the new year.” continued page 2 To order, call Casey at (802) 864-7402, Ext. 210 or email [email protected]. Share Cookies for Good: Sugarsnap delicious “Cookies for Good” is a “bake sale every day” for COTS: 35 cents from each $1 cookie sold goes to COTS. Serve the cookies at your holiday party, business lunch or send to a friend, co-worker or customer. A variety of flavors of the locally sourced treats are available. To order, visit www. cookiesforgood.org, call (802) 861-2951 or email [email protected]. Carry a COTS Flashbag: The Flashbags feature doorknobs from the Main Street Family Shelter. To order tote bags (available in 2 sizes), placemats or wallets, call (802) 864- 7402 or email [email protected]. For orders placed through COTS, we receive 50 percent of each sale. Music to your ears: “Harmonies for Humanity, Vol. 1: Musicians raising money for COTS” This spring, we started a healthy snack program in family shelter that teaches features Vermont musicians created to benefit children about nutrition. Each afternoon, the children prepare a snack with the COTS. The $10 CDs are available at AmeriCorps member serving in shelter. Sweet potato chips are popular! our main office, 95 North Ave., Burlington. Preventing Homelessness...continued from page 1 Many of the children in our shelters are younger than 5. This is a critical time for a child’s development, especially ages 0-3. Brain research has shown that the environment in which a child is raised directly affects the way the brain develops. Connecting children with opportunities as early as possible will give them the best chance to succeed later in life. To this end, COTS’ Children’s Education Advocate connects children in shelter with quality early learning, after-school, and summer camp enrichment opportunities. HomeFront is published twice a year, These connections are arranged to begin while a family is staying in shelter – and in April and November, by: continue after the children and parents move into permanent housing. COMMITTEE ON We work with the University of Vermont Early Education Enrichment program to TEMPORARY SHELTER provide services to children in shelter. We also partner with the Burlington School PO Box 1616 Burlington, VT 05402 District on tutoring. 802-864-7402 A member of the AmeriCorps serves as a Children’s Program Specialist in COTS fax 802-864-2612 www.cotsonline.org programs, focusing on nutrition, wellness and physical activity. As part of this, Vermont’s first in-shelter snack program was launched in family shelter. The children Established 1982 prepare a healthy snack together – sweet potato chips, extremely popular! – and once a week make dinner as a group. The snack program is designed to address obesity and BOARD OF DIRECTORS food scarcity issues, as well as teach about overall healthy eating. Brigitte Ritchie, Chair Jeffrey Nolan, Vice Chair COTS staff also coordinates Debra Royce, Treasurer additional learning activities, Joyce Hagan, Secretary including field trips, arts projects, Beth Anderson Sean Collins and the COTS “book buddies” Catherine Dingle literacy initiative. Laurie Gunn George Hubbard We believe that each child Paul Lekstutis represents a thousand futures Michael H. Lipson – and this investment of time and Jeff Martin energy makes each one of those Michael New possible futures much brighter. Shelley Richardson Tom Torti We believe in ending homelessness, Rita Markley, Executive Director one child at a time. Why are so many Families in Vermont strUggling? A United Way Member Agency In the past decade, the number of homeless families in Chittenden County has tripled, and families are the fast-growing segment of the homeless population locally and nationally. The primary reasons so many working families are facing homelessness in our Editor Becky Holt community: low vacancy and high rents. Many low-income workers need to work multiple jobs (and many are) to afford housing in Vermont. Compounding that issue is Writer the extremely low vacancy rate in Burlington, which hovers between .5 percent and just Gillian Taylor under 2 percent. A healthy rental market has a vacancy rate closer to 5 percent. Designer Lisa Cadieux, Liquid Studio COTS has adopted new programs and adapted existing services to help families successfully navigate these challenges. COTS staff members work with guests to identify FOLLOW US ONLINE their needs and set goals to address them — specifically as those goals relate to securing stable and sustainable permanent housing. They match guests with our programs — and www.cotsonline.org those provided by community partners — to find the best fit for each family’s unique needs. www.facebook.com/COTSonline @COTSvt Also, shelter guests do not pay for shelter with COTS. Instead they save 40 percent of their income to create a nest egg for when they move into their new home. Pinterest.com/cotsvt www.cotsonline.org COTS HOMEFRONT FALL 2014 2 We achieve this through a multi-prong approach, across COTS programs. In family shelter, we discuss how low-flow shower heads can reduce water bills or CFLs or smart power strips can save money on utilities. For children, we make it fun – and explain how they can help Mom or Dad by flipping off a lightswitch in a room that no one is using. (The children even made decorations for their own lightswitches that they were responsible for in shelter.) As family exit shelter, we provide them with a care package of these resources and tools for their new home. Focus on the fix Despite what are sometimes daunting challenges, the culture Residents in COTS transitional and permanent housing at COTS has always been to focus on the fix. This year, we programs also received energy-efficient upgrades in their homes, launched ‘What The (Fix)’ Slam to celebrate and encourage as well as educational guidance about these improvements. problem-solving throughout our agency. And, finally, we’ve connected with more than 200 people who Staff and volunteers submitted two-page proposals that have sought prevention or rehousing support through the identified an issue, developed an idea to address it, and looked COTS Housing Resource Center. This program focuses on at financial feasibility and opportunities for collaboration with preventing families from becoming homeless or rehousing community partners. Last fall, staff submitted 20 proposals; them more quickly. One of the ways we help families at risk of some of which were immediately implemented with existing becoming homeless stabilize is through budgeting guidance resources. Others were moved forward to full proposals and and examining utility usage and practices. The partnership presented to all COTS staff at our first WT(Fix) Slam! Those with VEIC has enabled us to help people create additional semi-finalists were whittled down to three finalists who savings and reduce financial pressures. competed in our community WT(Fix) Slam in May. Staff presented a range of ideas – from a creative new fundraiser Canal Street Veterans Housing with local artists, to engaging guests in therapy that uses The progress toward ending homelessness among veterans has theatrical practices, to the ultimate winner, in partnership made national headlines for the positive strides made so far. In with 2-1-1, that transforms the 6-inch (literally) print resource Vermont, Canal Street Veterans Housing, which COTS opened binder into a digital tool that’s not only more portable but in 2011 in collaboration with Housing Vermont, is a successful easier to keep updated for community partners to use. program making major headway toward that goal. The event was hosted at ArtsRiot in Burlington, with guest The program provides two-year transitional housing for 16-18 judges: Mary Powell, Green Mountain Power Corp.; John formerly homeless veterans and their families at a time. Canal Killacky, Flynn Center for the Performing Arts; Katharine Street creates housing, not shelter. While veterans are living at Montstream, Burlington artist; Lesli Blount, VPR; and Rita Canal Street, they pursue job training, education, and address Markley of COTS. individual challenges. Our next WT(Fix) Slam is set for May 2015; staff are Earlier this year, COTS Executive Director Rita Markley and submitting proposals now. Kenn Sassorossi of Housing Vermont spoke at a national symposium, hosted by the Housing Assistance Council, in Washington, D.C., on the successful outcomes and partnership Talk about between COTS and Housing Vermont. an efficient connection Since opening, 29 veterans have successfully completed the program and moved into permanent housing. The average stay This year, COTS is about 14 months. Of the veterans who came to Canal Street, partnered with Vermont 76 percent improved their income while in the program.