Volunteers have been a "gift" to the agency that has enhanced our work and enlarged our successes. Volunteers have freely given their time, experience, and energy to help us fight discrimination. At any given time, there are at least a hundred volunteers who are working on some agency project.
Volunteers from all walks of life have helped investigate and mediate cases, conducted legal research and reviewed case files, helped with copying, mailing, and other clerical tasks, and served as volunteer testers. While many sources have been used for recruitment, area educational institutions have provided a ready supply of interns who desire either academic credit or work experience.
Most of the mediations conducted by the agency are actually conducted by volunteer mediators, and most of these mediators are Iowa attorneys. Sixty attorneys and other professional mediators from all over the state have volunteered to mediate agency cases.
The overall volunteer program has been directed by the Volunteer Team. Team members attended volunteer management classes at Des Moines Area Community College to increase their professional knowledge of the field. The team subsequently worked on an overall plan Volunteer Management Plan.