Volunteer to reduce conflict in your community

CRS is always looking for passionate volunteers who want to join us in helping others. Becoming a mediator or joining our Board of Directors is very rewarding; your time invested helps advance the well-being of individuals who share our beautiful northern Michigan community.

Mediators are trained to mediate specific types of disputes ranging from small claims to child custody. If a volunteer mediator is interested, they can also take additional training for specialized cases such as behavioral health, special education, or agriculture.  The best part is that CRS will cover the cost of training if you commit to volunteering for the center.

5 Reasons to Volunteer with CRS:

1. Free training. Whether you are a retiree looking to keep your mind sharp or a college student looking to improve your resume or anything in between, being trained as a mediator is valuable and FREE through CRS.
2. Volunteer as little or as much as you want. Looking to volunteer once a month? Great. Looking to volunteer once a week? Great. We ask that you commit to volunteering once a month, but welcome more frequent activity.
3. Volunteer from the comfort of your home (or anywhere else you have an internet connection and privacy). Business on top and pajamas on the bottom? No problem. More than 95% of our mediations are held via Zoom.
4. Volunteer when it works for you. Only interested in volunteering in the morning? Perfect. We have mediations starting at 9 am most days. Can’t imagine waking up before noon to volunteer? Great. We also schedule mediations most days at 1 pm. We send weekly emails with dates and times when we need volunteers. You just reply back if you want to volunteer for any of the opportunities.
5. See your hard work pay off right in front of you. The first time you see two people enter the mediation barely able to look at each other and leave chatting casually will fuel your drive to keep going. It is a powerful moment to see the skills you learn benefit people in such a profound way. You will be amazed at your new “superpower.” And who doesn’t dream of superpowers?

The process is as simple as 1-2-3:

1. Complete volunteer paperwork (volunteer handbook, background check, commitment).
2. Complete training (both formal training and internship).
3. Volunteer as a mediator whenever it works for you, commonly from the comfort of your own home.

If you are interested in learning more about how you can volunteer with CRS, complete the interest form. We will be happy to work with you to find the right role for you with Conflict Resolution Services.