“The courts of this country should not be the places where
resolution of disputes begins. They should be the places where
the disputes end after alternative methods of resolving
disputes have been considered and tried.”
~ Sandra Day O’Connor
| April is National Volunteer Appreciation Month! NVMS Conflict Resolution Center is pleased to celebrate all the incredible individuals and groups who have supported our organization over the years. Especially during times of crisis and uncertainty with COVID-19, our volunteers and practitioners are now more important than ever and even more deserving of recognition. They include those who have worked and trained with us to transition the delivery of our training, facilitation, and mediation programs and services from in-person to virtual platforms. Our volunteers have continued to help community residents manage and resolve their conflicts constructively using zoom and – when in person – have always masked, kept at least six feet apart, and followed CDC guidelines. Who are our volunteer heroes? They include the heroes who buoyed the NVMS Conflict Resolution Center amid challenging staff transitions: Randy Jones Toll, Bill Casey, Leigh Pence, Jim Meditz, Jeannette Twomey, Rick Schapira, Ron Williams, Margaret McNeill, and Thomas Carter. A special shout out to volunteer Diane Hill who has produced our monthly electronic newsletter without fail since mid-2020.  They are our leadership partners supporting the Fairfax County Alternative Accountability Program (AAP), of which NVMS is a nonprofit partner. Members of our Advisory Council provide continuity for the organization as we amplify paths to sustain the organization. Finally, thank you to our all-volunteer Board of Directors for the incredible stewardship of this organization and generously sharing their skills, time, and treasure – including to develop our 2022-2026 strategic plan over the past eight months of conversation, reflection, and planning. Volunteers are an essential part of our NVMS Conflict Resolution Center family. They are our backbone. Without their support, we could not inspire nearly 1,000 individuals to move forward in their lives these last 18 months, through our mediation, restorative justice facilitation, community education, and training services and programs. Our volunteers change lives!While NVMS cannot recognize our volunteers in a traditional way, we are doing our best to send our love and support virtually as we patiently wait for the day that we can all be together again. Arleen Ramirez Borysiewicz Executive Director  Thank you to the dedicated volunteers who donated coats and jackets for our NVMS collection drive to aid Ukrainian refugees. Five bags were delivered on April 8 to the the office of Fairfax County Supervisor Dan Storck, Mount Vernon District. |
Questions? Please email Arleen Borysiewicz, Executive Director, at aborysiewicz@nvms.us.
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