Dear CCR Community:

Happy Spring!

CCR is excited to be joined by a number of new volunteer mediators and staff members – please give them a warm welcome, and enjoy learning more about them in this edition.

As you know, CCR is in the midst of a Strategic Planning Process. If you responded to the volunteer survey we sent out last fall, we are currently weighing your feedback, along with insights gained from staff members, Board and Auxiliary Board members in a series of retreat sessions over the last couple of months. The Strategic Planning Committee, made up of volunteer mediators, staff members, and Board, Auxiliary Board and Volunteer Council members, will be meeting over the next few months to build the plan, which I look forward to sharing! Thanks so much to those who have taken the time to give feedback or assist in the process.

Recognizing CCR’s tremendous growth over the last two years, we are concurrently engaged in planning to refine our organizational structure and ensure we have strong succession plans in place for key staff roles; work that will support the successful implementation of the new strategic plan.

I am also thrilled that we will be returning to an in-person fundraising event this spring. I hope that many of you will be able to attend Party on the Patio with CCR, which will be held at Kaiser Tiger, 1415 W. Randolph St., on Wednesday, May 4. There is a heated and covered outdoor patio available as part of the event space, and other COVID precautions will be in place. If you are comfortable joining, we look forward to seeing you.

The majority of our services will continue to be on Zoom, but I also look forward to more in-person service opportunities becoming available in the coming months. Please continue to check your e-mails for updates from the Training and Programs Departments!

Best,

Cassie

Thank you! 

We are grateful to the JAMS Foundation for their funding of 2022 initiatives, which include Community-Police Mediation; Neighborhood, Community and Family Mediation; and Youth Programs.

CCR is so grateful to Oliver Wyman’s Chicago office for raising more than $115,000 through their annual holiday auction! CCR will share the proceeds with Cara Collective, and we are excited about the impact this funding will have for our mediation and training services. CCR thanks Board Member Emily Harte for her partnership on this initiative!

CCR would like to recognize Frank Hill for exemplifying the CCR Core Value of Collaborative Spirit. Frank has helped CCR in so many ways over the years, including serving as a volunteer mediator, as a coordinator of CCR's social media efforts, as the writer of CCR's blog, the writer of CCR's Annual Report, and as the lead creator and editor of each edition of this very newsletter! Frank is the definition of someone who always pitches in and finds a way to contribute, and through these public-facing communication channels, helps CCR to celebrate the successes of our organization and volunteers, and to engage and involve community members. Thank you, Frank!

We are grateful to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority for providing funding for our Youth, Family and Community Restorative Dialogue Program.

Take a listen to CCR's Training Director, Pari Karim's interview on WBEZ about having fruitful conversations at family gatherings.

CCR is excited to return to an in-person event this year! Please click HERE for more information about the event, including COVID safety precautions.

Sarah Farrukh

Abigail Johnston

Ethan Senser

Check out their bios on CCR's staff page HERE!

Congratulations to Auxiliary Board Member and past co-chair, Kim Dean, and her husband Adam on the birth of Alexander!

Congratulations to Auxiliary Board member and past co-chair Eric Yeager and his wife Lauren Yeager on the birth of Luke Phillip!

Share your thoughts HERE.