At Volunteer Strathcona, we love learning about the amazing things being done by volunteers and community organizations in Strathcona County.
In December we caught up with Tara Erickson, Program Director at the Strathcona County Community Mediation program (SCCM), to find out more about their volunteer program and impact in our community.
Did you know that SCCM can help neighbours, family members, and community organizations resolve disputes through FREE informal mediation? We learned they have helped neighbours resolve parking disputes and disagreements about roosters (yes, roosters!), assisted separated parents communicate better about the activities their kids are participating in, and helped members of community organization Boards work out disagreements.
We also learned that SCCM can provide organizations with FREE workshops on topics such as effective communication and conflict resolution. This is a great benefit to organizations in helping staff, board members and/or volunteers agree on how they want to communicate with one another and approach conflict constructively!
There are many different ways volunteers can get involved in SCCM work – volunteers can become mediators, workshop facilitators, and/or case developers – or can support SCCM in other ways, like volunteering for casinos or joining their Board. SCCM provides all the training needed – they are looking for good communicators who are empathetic and non-judgemental, and have a few hours a month to volunteer.
If you’d like more information about SCCM’s services and volunteer opportunities, check out their website or reach out to their Program Director, Tara Erickson at (communitymediation@sccm.ca)