As a slight chill graces the air, we find ourselves on the cusp of the most heartwarming season where gratitude and kindness take center stage. This season takes on a special significance to COTS, a Detroit-based non-profit organization dedicated to serving families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. It’s a time when we celebrate the power of family, community connection, and the resilience of the human spirit.
About COTS: Serving Families in Detroit
Founded in 1982, COTS provides emergency shelter, supportive and affordable housing, and comprehensive support services to families in Detroit. We create opportunities for families to collaborate, thrive, and succeed in building strong and stable households, neighborhoods, and communities.
COTS stands as a beacon of hope, serving approximately 1,200 people annually, focusing on children, who comprise 60 percent of program participants. This time of the year offers a special time to create a warm, nurturing environment for families, reminding everyone they are valued and loved.
Our Passport to Self-Sufficiency™ (PTS) program emphasizes how a home is more than four walls; it’s where love, family, and dreams flourish. PTS encompasses five domains: housing and family stability, economic mobility, health, education, and career development which encourages families to forge a new path, turning their dreams of a secure and loving future into reality.
The Magic of the Holidays
During the holiday season, we experience an outpouring of support from partners, donors, and the Metro Detroit community. The spirit of giving comes alive, fostering a sense of togetherness and the magic of ‘home,’ a concept holding profound meaning for those experiencing homelessness.
Approaching Thanksgiving, Giving Tuesday, and our favorite year-end holidays, reflections on the resilient families participating in programs at COTS highlight stories of strength, love, and gratitude. Despite facing unimaginable challenges, the families we hear from inspire us all with their remarkable gratitude, prompting everyone to pause, count their blessings, and appreciate life’s simple joys. Meet Cynthia, who shares her journey of growing up with her grandmother, leaving a difficult domestic violence situation, experiencing homelessness with her son, and finding a sense of belonging at COTS.
At the core of COTS are unity and love. The holiday season magnifies the community spirit within COTS’s shelters and affordable and supportive housing facilities, where donors, supporters, friends, and partners contribute to a heartwarming atmosphere.
“Love everybody” – it’s a simple but profound message that resonates deeply with our mission. It’s a reminder to treat each other with kindness and compassion, reach out to help someone else and create a world where everyone loves, is loved, and can attain self-sufficiency.
Join Us in Spreading Love and Gratitude
As we wrap ourselves in the warmth of family, gratitude, and love this season, let’s remember their transformative powers. The testimonies shared by families who are coached by COTS are not just stories; they are proof of resilience and testaments to the strength that blooms when hearts come together.
While embracing love and gratitude, we find the true spirit of the holidays—where every act of kindness, every shared meal, and every donated dollar becomes a catalyst for positive change. Join us in spreading this kindness, not just during the holidays but throughout the year. Whether through a donation, lending a helping hand, or simply sharing our message, you become part of a collective force shaping a world where everyone can thrive.
Together, let’s build a legacy of love, gratitude, and community that extends far beyond this festive season, creating opportunities to succeed for all. Follow COTS on social media @cotsdetroit and explore inspiring family narratives in our Art of Family Gallery.
