Volunteer Program
During the past year the Conunission has actively
recruited and trained a dedicated corps of volunteers to help with the work
of the agency. The majority of the volunteers have been involved in the
mediation of complaints which have been screened but not yet investigated.
Other volunteers have performed paralegal and support work.
The goal of mediation is to offer the parties an opportunity to enter into
a voluntary settlement or resolution of the complaint. The volunteers have
resolved many cases that would have waited months longer for an investigation
to commence. This is a great service to the Commission as well as to the
parties to the complaints to reach a quicker resolution.
Comniission staff provide the initial and on-going training for all the
volunteer positions, so no particular experience is required.
The volunteers have come from many walks of life with varying backgrounds.
Some have have been in work or educational settings which have given them
exposure to legal issues and mediation skills; others have not. The area
colleges and universities have been a good source of volunteers, but many
have also come from the community. After the Commission volunteers were
highlighted on a local television program, many more people called to offer
help. Volunteering is an excellent way for people to help the Commission
fight discrimination, find satisfaction in helping others, and learn skills
which may be useful in other areas of life.