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Volunteer Council: What is it?
by Cathay Lancaster
If you've ever wondered who organizes the book club events and continuing education presentations, or who helps the staff promote CCR, look no further - it's all under CCR's Volunteer Council (VC).
I am the current Chair of the VC. I went through the MMP in 2013 and have been on the VC for three years. When I first took the 40 hr training, it was for my pastry consulting business. I was still a pastry chef then but have since moved on to just consulting. The VC has been a great way for me to support CCR and work closely with the staff and other volunteers.
The VC meets 10 times a year and is comprised of volunteers who have been with CCR from the beginning all the way through recent MMP graduates. The VC provides a way to volunteer other than mediation either by serving on the VC or its committees. We work on projects to enhance the volunteer experience while supporting CCR's mission, staff and community. Our current committees are:
- Continuing Education - plans continuing education and book club events
- Outreach - promotes CCR with the Ambassador program
- Volunteer Community - works on ways to improve the volunteer experience
- VC Articles of Operation - revising our articles to be current
- CCR Core Values - developing a core values statement for CCR
- New Committees - we're currently looking at expanding committee work
We conducted a survey of volunteers about a year ago about how we can serve the volunteers better. We got a lot of ideas and have been researching and developing them. I hope to have some announcements in the coming months about what we've done.
If you are interested in the VC or its committees you can email me at
[email protected].
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Restorative Justice: 101
Our most recent continuing education event in June was Restorative Justice: 101 and was hosted by staff member Maia Buess. The presentation covered the basics of Restorative Justice philosophy, principles, and practices. Drawing on the work of Howard Zehr and Kay Pranis, participants discussed circle processes and victim-offender conferencing - both of which are common RJ practices. The presentation also highlighted the Restorative Justice work at CCR, including our Juvenile Victim-Offender and Family Mediation Programs, as well as our Branch Court Program. Mediation in these programs focuses on the needs of all parties, the impact of the arrest, and creating a holistic plan for the future that addresses the harm caused by the offense. |
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Volunteer Appreciation Party
On Thursday, May 31 we celebrated the outstanding volunteers at CCR! The festivities took place at Jefferson Tap & Grille. It was a special evening and fun was had by everyone in attendance.
Thank you for celebrating with us!
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Help Us Plan an Upcoming
Continuing Ed Program!
Do you have a great idea for
a speaker or topic for
an upcoming
Continuing Ed Program?
If so, we would love to hear
your thoughts.
Please contact Continuing Ed Committee Chair,
Jonah Orlofsky
at
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LETTER FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dear CCR Community:
Happy Summer!
Thanks to the continued efforts of our entire community, we are proud to announce that in Fiscal Year 2018, CCR received more than 1,550 mediation referrals, serving more than 4,500 clients. This number represents our continued work to grow new programs and to support the court and community through our work with parents, youth, landlords and tenants and other nonprofits. One of our newest partnerships is with the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois, mediating consumer complaints.
CCR training staff and coaches are in the midst of our July Mediation Skills Training. Our coaches provide tremendous one-on-one support for trainees and truly make our 40-hour training an outstanding learning experience.
Thanks to all of you who were able to join us for our annual Volunteer Appreciation Party at Jefferson Tap on May 31! This is a favorite night of the year for our staff members; a chance for us to relax and enjoy the company of our dedicated volunteers, and to honor volunteer accomplishments over the past year. CCR is lucky to have volunteer support in so many different roles - as mediators, training coaches, mentors, peer reviewers, Volunteer Council members, Board of Directors members, Auxiliary Board members and more.
I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event! Our July Continuing Education program on July 27 at noon and Reflective Practice Group at 5:30 on August 8 are both great opportunities to connect with the CCR community.
Cheers,
Cassie
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HELP CCR WIN $10,000!
Byline Bank is looking for nominations for the best nonprofit or small business in the Chicagoland area. Please see the link above for information about the contest from Byline Bank, and nominate CCR for the chance to win $10,000 and gain some good exposure! The application asks for the organization's website - CCR's is
www.ccrchicago.org
. Thank you!
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Press
Check out this Chicago Tribune article, "Former NASA astronaut offers tips for avoiding roommate drama," featuring some words of wisdom from an astronaut and, more importantly, CCR's training director, Pari Karim! And this Chicago Maroon article also featuring Pari,
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Ways to Support CCR
Shop through Giving Assistant, you not only score great deals, but a percentage of your purchases can be donated to CCR!
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