By Kolby LaMarche

Organizers of the annual COTS Walk are preparing for what has become one of Vermont’s longest-running community events dedicated to addressing homelessness. 

Set for Sunday, May 3, the family-friendly 3.6-mile walk will begin and end at Battery Park in downtown Burlington, with registration opening at 1 p.m. and the walk starting at 2 p.m.

The event, established in 1988 alongside the nonprofit itself, draws participants from businesses, schools, faith groups and neighborhoods across the region. 

Walkers of all ages, including those with dogs and strollers, follow a route through downtown that stops at COTS-operated shelters and facilities. 

The path is designed to illustrate the journey many Vermonters take when seeking help for homelessness, offering a tangible look at the services available and the challenges involved, the group says.

This year’s theme, “Every Story Deserves a Home,” the organization’s message that every individual who enters a COTS shelter or housing program carries a unique life story. 

Homelessness, organizers emphasize, is often just one chapter, and community support can help change the outcome.

COTS, which now operates simply under that name after decades as the Committee on Temporary Shelter, is Vermont’s largest provider of housing and homelessness prevention services. 

Founded in 1988, the organization provides emergency shelter, supportive services and long-term housing solutions for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of losing their homes. Its mission centers on the belief that housing is a fundamental human right and that every person possesses inherent dignity and worth.

In the most recent year reported, COTS assisted 1,366 people, including 317 children. The nonprofit operates a network of programs across Burlington and Winooski, including the recently renovated Waystation adult shelter at 58 Pearl Street. 

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the expanded facility was held Oct. 29, 2025, marking improved capacity and services for adults experiencing homelessness.

Additional programs include the Winter Warming Station, a low-barrier overnight shelter open from January through May; family shelters that served 37 families, including 62 children, last year; and the Daystation, a daytime drop-in center where 1,735 individuals accessed lunch, showers, laundry and other resources. 

The Housing Resource Center provided housing and services to 159 households last year, while the Family Supportive Housing program supported 68 households that included 126 children. 

COTS also manages 95 units of transitional and affordable permanent housing in the Burlington and Winooski areas and offers re-housing assistance to families placed in hotels and motels.

Beyond emergency shelter, COTS provides financial assistance to prevent homelessness, housing navigation for those currently without stable housing, and housing retention support for those who have previously experienced homelessness. 

The organization advocates for systemic, long-term solutions rather than temporary fixes, operating under the principle that emergency shelter alone cannot end homelessness – a policy path Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak has said she will follow. 

The COTS Walk serves as both a major fundraiser and an educational tool. Proceeds directly support the nonprofit’s shelters, housing programs and services throughout the year. 

Participants are encouraged to fundraise through a peer-to-peer platform, with incentives tied to fundraising levels. Youth 12 and under who raise $75 receive a walk T-shirt. Adults who raise $150 earn a T-shirt. Challenge walkers who reach $1,000 and challenge teams that hit $2,500 receive special COTS Walk map bandanas. 

Top-performing school, business and faith-based teams earn additional rewards, including pizza parties, brewery happy hours and ice cream socials.

Live music by Jenni & the Jazz Junketeers, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and other activities will be available at Battery Park before and after the walk. A 360-degree virtual tour of COTS locations is also available online for those unable to attend in person.

Registration and fundraising can be completed at cotsonline.org/cots-walk. Individuals may register to walk, form teams or donate without participating on event day. Volunteer opportunities to help run the event are available through a separate online form.

Now in its 39th year, the COTS Walk remains a cornerstone of community engagement in Chittenden County. 

COTS relies on donations, volunteers and community partnerships to sustain its work. The organization maintains a wish list for essential hygiene items. 

With the walk just weeks away, organizers are urging Vermonters to register, fundraise and participate in what has become an annual demonstration of community commitment to ensuring every story has the chance to end with stable housing.