Contact: (802) 864-7402

Becky Holt email: beckh@cotsonline.org

Sian Leach email: sianl@cotsonline.org

The Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS) is putting a call out for walkers for the annual COTS Walk, set for Sunday May 6th. Check in begins at 1:00 PM; walk begins at 2:00 PM.

On May 6th, adults, youth, and children from throughout northern Vermont are invited to gather at Battery Park to walk the 3-mile route a person who is homeless might take to connect with shelter and services. Walkers will visit COTS program sites, meet COTS staff, and see firsthand how the money they raise is put to work to end homelessness in our community. About half of COTS’ annual budget comes directly from community support – and events like the COTS Walk. Our goal this year is to raise $200,000.

Since 1990, our local community has provided strong support to COTS by recruiting walkers and donors for the COTS Walk. This is a great educational event for families, schools, businesses, churches, clubs, or groups of friends and neighbors, and it’s a fun and rewarding way for students to complete their community service requirements. Every dollar raised by Walkers goes directly into shelters and services for homeless Vermonters.

Founded in 1982, COTS provides emergency shelter, support services and housing for people who are without homes or who are marginally housed in Chittenden County. COTS operates two family shelters, an overnight shelter for single adults, a daytime center for adults, three facilities providing permanent housing to low-income and disabled individuals, a transitional housing facility for homeless veterans, and the Housing Resource Center, which provides counseling, prevention, and rehousing assistance to help people avert the crisis of homelessness or return to housing more quickly.

For more information or to register, visit www.cotsonline.org or call Becky (Ext. 204) or Sian (Ext. 207) to make sure that your school has COTS Walk materials on hand. We thank you for your support.