Mid Shore Community Mediation Center held its annual Conflict Resolution Day dinner on October 16 at the Talbot County Historical Society auditorium. About fifty guests attended to celebrate the organization’s peacemaking accomplishments in Caroline, Dorchester and Talbot counties and recognize the contributions of its volunteers.
President of Mid Shore Mediation’s Board of Directors, Linda Webb, offered remarks from Executive Director Cynthia Jurrius. She emphasized the difference volunteers make in the community through their service, including bringing people together to solve problems and work toward common goals, teaching students conflict resolution skills that can change lives, and strengthening neighborhoods, organizations and their missions through facilitations.
Webb thanked the Grayce B. Kerr Fund, Mid-Shore Community Foundation, the George B. Todd Fund, and the Women and Girls Fund, along with individual donors, for supporting the organization. She also expressed her appreciation to the local judiciary for its commitment to the mediation process.
Reviewing the previous year’s statistics, Webb reported that the number of mediations conducted by the Center’s volunteers had increased 25 percent, with more than fifty mediators participating. Eight mediators underwent performance-based evaluation to receive Community Mediation Maryland’s mediator certification. “We have some of the best mediators on the Eastern Shore,” said Webb. “They allow us to leverage a small amount of funding into a huge impact in the community.”
The volunteers were recognized with certificates of appreciation. Bronze, silver and gold pins were awarded to “12 By 12” volunteers—those who had mediated at least twelve sessions plus volunteered twelve non-mediation hours for the past one, two and three years, respectively. Mediators Rebecca Clizbe and Owen Lyons were the gold pin recipients.
Clizbe and Jack Donahue received gifts as Mid Shore Mediation’s “Superlatively Valuable Peacemakers” for the year. Both participated in more than fifty mediations and were commended for their additional volunteer efforts as board members and mentors to new mediators.
Donahue, who had been honored at Community Mediation Maryland’s annual gala event in June as Mid Shore Community Mediation Center’s Volunteer of the Year, spoke of the value of community mediation in providing a safe forum in which people can have a dialogue and freedom to listen and speak, “perhaps for the first time.”
Webb applauded the work of Mid Shore Mediation’s staff, including Director of Youth and Special Programs Jennifer Williams. Williams presented plaques to Damien Ransome and Cody Wehlan, the Center’s AmeriCorps members, who had completed 1700 and 900 hours, respectively, working primarily with the Dorchester County school-based mediation program. She noted that both have signed on for new terms of service, with one additional AmeriCorps member and two interns also signing on for the coming year.
The evening concluded with gifts of appreciation to Mid Shore Mediation’s board members, who include Peter Rohman, Jim Adams and George Borowsky in addition to Webb and Donahue.
For more information on mediation, to make a contribution, or to volunteer as a mediator, call Mid Shore Community Mediation Center at 410-820-5553 or visit www.midshoremediation.org.
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