Cots: The Art Of Family Podcast

Join us for a special edition of The Art of Family podcast as Paige Blessman (COTS Director of Communications) and Lucy Couch (Detroit Pistons Business Development Executive) talk about the collaboration between COTS and the Detroit Pistons. Hear how an intro at a networking event blossomed into a remarkable partnership, resulting in COTS Night at the upcoming Pistons game on March 20th. Learn about the unforgettable experiences planned for the night, the impact of this event, and how you can get involved in supporting Detroit families experiencing homelessness. Tune in for a story of partnership, generosity, and the transformative power of sports and community. Join us at COTS Night, buy your tickets here: https://fevo-enterprise.com/event/Cots --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cotsdetroit/support

As a current dialysis technician, Amber shares her aspirations of pursuing medical school despite the daunting obstacles of standardized tests and self-doubt. Through her candid reflections, listeners are invited into the complexities of her past, including the loss of her mother and the challenges of caring for her younger brother. Amber's story reveals common misconceptions about homelessness and the importance of compassion and understanding. Her journey from uncertainty to empowerment exemplifies the transformative impact of organizations like COTS, providing not just shelter but a pathway to stability and self-sufficiency. Tune in as Amber's narrative unfolds, reminding us that even in our darkest moments, a glimmer of hope is always waiting to be embraced. Hit play and embark on a journey of heart, hope, and healing. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cotsdetroit/support

Get to know Cynthia as she talks with Paige Blessman (Director of Communications at COTS) about her life journey, filled with ups and downs. From her early years growing up with her grandmother to surviving a difficult domestic violence situation and experiencing homelessness, Cynthia shares her story of resilience and growth. She also talks about finding a sense of belonging at COTS, how coaching has positively impacted her life, and common misconceptions about homelessness. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cotsdetroit/support

Join us for an insightful conversation between Cheryl P. Johnson (COTS CEO) and Kim Janey (EMPath President and CEO), moderated by Nikki Carbonari (COTS Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships), as they discuss their shared vision for breaking the cycle of poverty for generations and creating meaningful impact. They talk about the power of narratives and preconceived notions, exploring how these elements shape the foundation of their work. They also share what the journey to certification in Mobility Mentoring® looks like. COTS is thrilled to be the 1st organization certified in Mobility Mentoring®, a research-backed economic mobility coaching approach developed by Economic Mobility Pathways - EMPath! Mobility Mentoring® empowers low-income families by offering a participant-centered, holistic, trauma-informed, and culturally competent approach to help individuals achieve their goals, from education and career advancement to financial stability and well-being. This certification is a game-changer in scaling

Hear from host Gerald Edwards, leader of the COTS Fatherhood Initiative, who engages in a dynamic conversation with Damarqio Williams, CEO, and founder of Detroit Father LLC. Together, they shed light on their individual fatherhood initiatives, emphasizing the shared mission to empower and support fathers in their respective communities. Damarqio Williams shares the heartfelt origins of Detroit Father LLC, a community he created out of a personal need for a safe and supportive space to discuss the joys and challenges of fatherhood. His journey is one of building a community from the ground up, inspired by the absence of such a resource in his city. The pandemic posed its challenges, but resilience prevailed. Gerald Edwards, on the other hand, discusses the evolution of the COTS Fatherhood Initiative. Recognizing the need to fully incorporate fathers into the equation, this initiative seeks to empower fathers with the knowledge, resources, and support necessary to be actively involved in their children's l

Black women face a three-fold higher risk of pregnancy-related death than white women. Doulas are increasingly recognized as vital in addressing disparities and supporting marginalized communities during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. Join Angelene Love (Doula) and Aisha Morrell-Ferguson (Chief Development Officer of COTS) for part 2 as they delve into the world of doulas. Tune in to stay current on campaigns for legislative bills regarding reproductive health and find out where to get more information on community resources and doula advocacy. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cotsdetroit/support

Join hosts Corisa Reed (Executive Assistant to CEO, Cheryl P. Johnson) and Aisha Morrell-Ferguson (Chief Development Officer of COTS) on The Art of Family Podcast as they remind us of the importance of downtime, especially in today's fast-paced world. Discover how COTS prioritizes a break by not scheduling meetings in July, allowing more space and time for everyone’s rejuvenation and creativity. Tune in to hear the benefits of taking a step back, getting fresh air, and indulging in hobbies. Aisha and Corisa share personal anecdotes and strategies to overcome burnout and introduce tranquility in everyday life.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cotsdetroit/support

Black women face a three-fold higher risk of pregnancy-related death compared to white women. Doulas are increasingly recognized as vital in addressing disparities and supporting marginalized communities during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. Join Angelene Love (Doula) and Aisha Morrell-Ferguson (Chief Development Officer of COTS) as they delve into the world of doulas. They discuss doula training, the emotional support doulas provide, the benefits of having a doula during and after pregnancy—especially for BIPOC women, creating personalized birthing experiences, and how doulas work alongside medical professionals. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cotsdetroit/support

Our valued partner, Bank of America's Meaghan Madison sits down with COTS Chief Development Officer, Aisha Morrell-Ferguson, to discuss the experience of partnering with Bank of America. The bank has been instrument to bring some of their financial literacy curricula our emergency shelter Peggy's Place. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cotsdetroit/support

COTS CEO, Cheryl P. Johnson, speaks with chefs Jeremy Abbey and John T. Piazza from the juggernaut of Soil2Service, Detroit Institute of Gastronomy and EdibleWOW! magazine. Their conversation covers many topics from the level of participation of women in the culinary industry to the ways COTS and Soil2Service work together to positively impact our community. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cotsdetroit/support

Once more Corisa Reed sits down with our esteemed guest, LaTonia Walker to wrap up our exploration of the narratives that exist both within and outside of COTS and how we work to counter negative narratives and improve the ones we work from both as an organization and individuals. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cotsdetroit/support

Continuing our exploration of the narratives we found in our review of internal behaviors and attitudes, Corisa Reed speaks with Deja Farr-Lowery regarding the narrative of Paternalism. Corisa and Deja discuss what the narrative of Paternalism is and ways to mitigate its effects. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cotsdetroit/support

Continuing COTS' March exploration of narratives, Corissa Reed speaks with Wanda Milledge to define the harmful narrative of Fatalism and look at some tools to mitigate its effects. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cotsdetroit/support

COTS is taking some time during March to examine how we all carry narratives into situations and how they affect how we perceive issues, like poverty. COTS own Corisa Reed and Nikki Carbonari talk about what narratives are and how COTS has been confronting them. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cotsdetroit/support

Michigan weather is something else! COTS recorded a podcast with Gerald Edwards facilitating COTS Fatherhood Initiative and Alexis Hloros, a father participating in our initiative. This episode was hosted by our Chief Development Officer, Aisha Morrell-Ferguson. Last week's ice storm forced us to use a different tech and introduced a few audio artifacts. We hope that you listen to this conversation; it was great to get a participating father's perspective and learn a little about where the initiative could head from here. It's hard to see #FamilyFocusedFebruary wrap up, and we hope it has been helpful. Please leave comments and suggestions as we seek to improve Family Focused February next year. #CreatingOpportunitiesToSucceed #COTSat40 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cotsdetroit/support

To close the loop on the podcast portion of our program, at 7p this evening we will release another conversation CEO Cheryl P. Johnson had with Dara Griffin and Kevin Bremond They are leaders of a similar initiative in California and helped Ms. Johnson implement a new narrative for COTS addressing fathers and fatherhood issues confronted within our programs. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cotsdetroit/support

COTS' CEO Cheryl P. Johnson sits down with a 20+-year supporters of COTS Charisse Harper and her father, Benjamin Franklin Nubia for a discussion on their experiences partnering with COTS. Charisse speaks to the importance of having a father in a child's life while Mr. Nubia describes how his stay at COTS helped to turn his life around. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cotsdetroit/support

COTS' Chief Development Officer, Aisha Morrell-Ferguson, speaks with Dara Griffin from the Fatherhood Initiative in California and Gerald Edwards of COTS about the launch of a community initiative in Detroit supporting fathers dealing with the issues of being a positive family influence. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/cotsdetroit/support

COTS' Chief Development Officer, Aisha Morrell-Ferguson, speaks with Dara Griffin from the Fatherhood Initiative in California and Gerald Edwards of COTS about the launch of a community initiative in Detroit supporting fathers dealing with the issues of being a positive family influence. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cotsdetroit/support

Janette Phillips of ShareDetroit (sharedetroit.org) stops by the Art of Family studios to talk about the work of the relatively new nonprofit, ShareDetroit, how they work with COTS, and celebrate the worldwide Giving Tuesday movement here in the greater Detroit area. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cotsdetroit/support