Inspired by struggle, Petaluman becomes homeless advocate

For Commiteee on the Shelterless’ Volunteer Coordinator Indigo Perry, helping Petaluma’s homeless population is personal.|

For Indigo Perry, helping Petaluma’s homeless population is personal.

Perry, who works as the volunteer coordinator for Petaluma nonprofit Committee on the Shelterless, said her own brother struggled with homelessness, a plight that she said took a significant toll on her family.

“I saw what an effort it is to stay clean, to find decent food, to be able to get to jobs when they come your way,” she said. “My brother being homeless showed me that it was more of a mental health issue. My eyes were opened.”

She said her brother has secured housing and a sense of stability, though the experience was influential in directing Perry’s course at this stage of her life.

“He’s fine now and has housing but it shook me to my core and I wanted to find a way to be of service to the homeless,” she said.

The 59-year-old was between jobs when a friend pointed out an opening for the volunteer and donation coordinator position at COTS, which operates a homeless shelter and a variety of other work, food and housing programs in the Petaluma area.

Perry was hired for the post, and in the past five-and-a-half years, she’s overseen the efforts of as many as 1,600 volunteers, she said.

She also plays a role in COTS’ Work: Ready Apparel program, which offers free clothing to local job seekers who are trying to boost themselves out of hard times. She works to field donations of gently used clothing, as well as makeup, skin care and hair salon services, she said.

While working at COTS and living in Lake County, Perry herself became homeless after the 2015 Valley Fire ripped through the county, destroying nearly 2,000 structures and devastating entire communities.

She had been telecommuting for COTS, but was offered a place in a friend’s home in Petaluma while her Lake County home is being rebuilt. In the 15 months she has lived in the city, she has come to cherish the community.

“I love living in Petaluma; it’s wonderful to center myself in the area,” she said. “Sonoma County has shown us Valley Fire survivors such generosity that I have to say that Sonoma County is No. 1 in my book.”

The Chicago native enjoys exploring Petaluma’s varied outdoor offerings, she said.

“It’s intriguing living in Petaluma,” she said. “There are so many things to do and as a walker and hiker, I love walking the many paths around town and near the river, and hiking at Putnam Park.”

Perry adores music and dancing and cultivates another passion: food fermentation. She’s been teaching classes in fermentation on NextDoor, a neighborhood social media site.

She said her work at the nonprofit and her own life experiences have helped further spur her advocacy for the homeless.

“It wrings my heart when people lose their homes,” she said. “Having worked for COTS and then losing our house in the Valley Fire has formed my purpose to find solutions for the homeless.”

(Contact Lynn Schnitzer at argus@arguscourier.com)

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.