By Melanie Deeds
Legal News
The spotlight will shine on Mark Weiss, a retired CPA and consultant, when The Resolution Center holds its annual fundraiser and awards ceremony on Tuesday, March 24 in Sterling Heights.
Weiss was introduced to mediation through an attorney friend, according to Craig Pappas, executive director of the center.
“He took mediation training in Wayne County and discovered our program through the grapevine and has become a huge asset for our agency, volunteering at least one case per week,” said Pappas. “He mediated over 100 hours for us in 2014, for huge array of cases. He has truly taken this process to heart and provides us our program with a great sense of professionalism and skill.”
Weiss will be honored at the event — the 22nd Annual Evening at the Movies held at the MJR Marketplace theater complex in Sterling Heights — with the center’s Volunteer of the Year Award.
At the same time, the United Way for Southeast Michigan will be receiving the Conflict Resolution Advocacy Award.
United Way was chosen, Pappas said “as they have been supporting our efforts to provide a safe school environment and alternative discipline methods at East Detroit High School since 2011.”
“They provided us the resources to have three staff members on site at the school to maintain a Peer Mediation Program, Restorative Justice Program and Reflection Room,” he said.
The program is a student-driven initiative that seeks to address student-to-student through a traditional mediation process facilitated by trained student mediators, Pappas said.
Restorative Justice is a concept that focuses on the harm that is done between students — physical altercation, verbal assaults, social media harassment — rather than placing blame or looking at who is at fault, he said.
“We focus on how kids were affected, taking accountability for their actions, and how to make things better between the students,” he said.
Nearly 50 percent of the services provided by the non-profit agency involve youth or students through the center’s school-based programs, he said.
“We work really hard to secure grants and funding to support the programs that provide students with peaceful, safe and supportive programs to address conflict,” Pappas said. “Fights, teasing, social media harassment, arguments and teen drama are just a few of the issues that our Peer Mediation and Restorative Justice Programs address on a daily basis.”
During 2014, Pappas said, the center processed 1,482 cases and mediated about slighty over 1,206. Just over 900 were settled in mediation, Pappas said.
He said 3,363 individuals participated in mediation at the center and 2,584 suspension days were averted at four schools.
The fundraiser begins at 5:30 p.m., featuring appetizers from area restaurants and caterers along with wine and beer as well as admission to a movie, popcorn and a soft drink.
Tickets are $50 per person.
For information, contact the center at 586.469.4714 or visit www.theresolutioncenter.com.
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