SAVANNAH, GA – Dec. 19, 2017 – The Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire’s “Children of Peaceful Engagement” program – or COPE – is now available to the residents of Greenbriar Children’s Center.

The COPE program teaches children who are going through stressful situations how to better cope with their anger and other emotions and manage their response using proven engagement strategies that focus on understanding and emotional learning. Typically, attendees are early school-age children and participation consists of two one-hour lessons, which take place during a one-week period.

COPE – provided by the Family Law Resource Center and its parent organization, the Mediation Center – is an interactive program designed through collaborations with educators and therapists. It is administered by Crystal Commodore, the Mediation Center’s Director of Youth Programs. Over the summer, it was added to the Mediation Center’s programs roster and was implemented it at Park Place Outreach, which provides services to at-risk youth and their families, aims to increase their functional levels, and reunifies families whenever possible. On Dec. 5, this beneficial service was launched at Greenbriar, another Savannah nonprofit committed to helping the community’s young people.

Greenbriar Children’s Center promotes the healthy development of children and the strengthening of families by providing services that include an emergency shelter, runaway/homeless, residential care, independent living, family preservation, early childhood education and care, and Project Safe Place. Once per month, the FLRC will provide a one-hour lesson, followed by another one-hour follow-up segment, taught later that week. The first session focuses on understanding emotion, managing response and owning actions, while the second session educates participants on communicating when in conflict with others.

Mediation Center Executive Director Jill Cheeks is delighted COPE has been well-received and looks forward to increasing its availability by partnering with more Coastal Empire organizations and educational institutions.

“The community already knows we offer a variety of conflict-resolution services, but we also are pleased to be able to provide programs like COPE. These resources enable us to educate youth at an earlier age and equip them with skills to handle difficult situations and respond in a more positive manner to stress and conflict,” Cheeks said.

Greenbriar provides homes for orphaned and homeless juveniles as well as housing for young adults who have nowhere else to turn. The organization, which was founded 68 years ago, has more than 75 locations established around Savannah as Safe Places, where anyone can seek help or report a child they suspect is being abused or is in need of care.

“Greenbriar’s life skills training program has an emphasis on motivating and encouraging individualized processing. The COPE program further enhances the value of independent thinking and increases youth’s problem-solving skills,” Greenbriar Executive Director Gena Taylor said.

For more information about the COPE program or the Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire, please email Cheeks at jcheeks@mediationsavannah.com, call 912-354-6686 or visit mediationsavannah.com. For more information about Greenbriar, please visit greenbriarchildrenscenter.org or call 912-234-3431.

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For media inquiries, please contact Hollie Barnidge at hollie@lesleyfrancispr.com or 912-272-8651 or Lesley Francis at lesley@francis.com at 912-429-3950 or the team at 912-417-LFPR(5377).

SAVANNAH, GA – DECEMBER 8, 2017 – During a check presentation ceremony on Friday afternoon, Trish Murphy, director of the Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire’s Family Law Resource Center, accepted a $5,000 donation from the Young Lawyers Division of the Savannah Bar Association. The exchange was followed by a brief reception with refreshments. The funds will go to the Guardian Ad Litem program, which Murphy has overseen since the Mediation Center began administering the program in January 2016.

The donation was presented by Young Lawyers Division President Philip Thompson, associate with Ellis, Painter, Ratterree & Adams LLP, and YLD President-elect Kate Lawson Smith, associate with Hunter Maclean, during a Continuing Legal Education class for Guardian Ad Litems at the Family Law Resource Center. The funds were raised during a recent golf tournament held by the SBA’s Young
Lawyers Division.

A Guardian Ad Litem (“GAL”) is a specially trained attorney appointed by the Court to represent the interest of a minor child in Superior Court domestic or civil actions. The GAL investigates the pending issues and makes a recommendation to the Court to assist in the resolution of the case.

“This is a cause we’re always happy to support. This is a cause we look forward to continuing to support in the future,” Thompson said during the presentation. “Thank you all very much for the important work you do providing representation for those who can’t represent their own interests.” Murphy accepted the check, thanking the two YLD representatives for their organization’s continued generosity.

“We appreciate your support and the financial assistance you have kindly provided us with for several years now,” Murphy said.

For more information on the Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire, please visit mediationsavannah.com, call 912-354-6686 or email info@mediationsavannah.com. For more information on the Savannah Bar Association, please visit savannahbar.org or email
savannahbarassociation@gmail.com.

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For media inquiries, please contact Hollie Barnidge at hollie@lesleyfrancispr.com or 912-272-8651 or Lesley Francis at lesley@francis.com at 912-429-3950 or the team at 912-417-LFPR(5377).

SAVANNAH, GA – Oct. 4, 2017 – The Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire has announced exciting plans to observe the American Bar Association’s Mediation Week, which runs Oct. 15-21. In 2011, the ABA declared the third week of October, “ABA Mediation Week” as part of the Association for Conflict Resolution’s long-established tradition of celebrating conflict resolution throughout October. The theme for this year’s ABA Mediation Week is “Mediation, Civility, and the Power of Understanding.”

The Mediation Center, which has been cutting the emotional and financial costs of disputes for thousands of people throughout the Coastal Empire region, will commemorate this observance with a couple events designed to thank current volunteers and draw new ones in.

As part of the observance, the center will host the Annual Mediation Appreciation Cocktail Hour on Tuesday, Oct. 17 at the Mediation Center. All volunteer mediators, supporters, staffers and board members will be treated to appetizers, drinks and networking opportunities as they celebrate the center’s 30 successful years. During the cocktail hour, a special announcement will be made about the Mediation Center’s
annual fundraising event.

The Mediation Center plans to prolong its observance of the ABA’s Mediation Week by holding its inaugural monthly information session, “Mediation Matters,” at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 26. This meeting, held at the Mediation Center at 5105 Paulsen St., Suite 125D, will provide anyone interested in becoming a volunteer mediator with all the information, requirements and guidelines needed to make an informed decision about taking on this important role. Topics important to attendees, such as how to incorporate mediation into the workplace environment or bring one of the Mediation Center’s youth programs to your organization, will also be addressed.

Mediation Center Executive Director Jill Cheeks encourages community members to attend one of the monthly information sessions to learn more about the Mediation Center’s services and resources.“This is our first time celebrating the American Bar Association’s Mediation Week, and we hope to make it into an annual tradition in our region. It’s the perfect opportunity for the Mediation Center to express gratitude to our current volunteers and supporters while aiming to increase community involvement and support for our programs and services,” Cheeks said.

The Mediation Center of Savannah, established in 1986, is a non-profit United Way funded organization that provides education, training and programs and is dedicated to providing and promoting methods other than litigation for settling disputes. The Center relies upon a dedicated volunteer board of directors and mediators who have experience in business, law, real estate, social work, education, and many other areas.

All mediators are registered with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution, under the Supreme Court of Georgia, and they attend annual in-service trainings. For more information about the Mediation Center of The Coastal Empire or any of the planned events, please visit mediationsavannah.com and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

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For media inquiries, please contact Hollie Barnidge at hollie@lesleyfrancispr.com or 912-272-8651 or Lesley Francis at lesley@francis.com at 912-429-3950 or the team at 912-417-LFPR (5377).

SAVANNAH, GA – Oct. 4, 2017 – Burton F. “Buddy” Metzger has joined the Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire’s Board of Directors as a member-at-large. He also will serve on the board’s Personnel Committee.

Metzger graduated from Yale University with his bachelor’s degree in 1962 and from Columbia Law School with his juris doctorate in 1965. After completing his education, Metzger practiced entertainment law in New York from 1965-72. He served as the president of the Metzger Group, a manufacturing company in New York, from 1977-87. During his time in the Empire State, Metzger held many leadership roles and was recognized for his philanthropic contributions. He served as a campaign leader and was named to the Council of Top 100 Solicitors.

After moving to Georgia, Metzger practiced juvenile and family law in Savannah from 1992-2009 and served as the juvenile court’s judge pro tem from 2000-09. His community achievements and leadership roles include serving as president, a long-term officer and director of Savannah’s Congregation Agudath Achim, volunteering for the United Way’s Backpack Buddies program, cofounding and serving as a board member of Parent University, serving on the board of directors of the Savannah Jewish Federation, serving as chairman of the Interfaith Relations Committee, and focusing on interracial relations for the Mayor’s Council on Interfaith. Metzger currently volunteers for the
Mediation Center as a civil and family law mediator.

The Mediation Center provides the coastal community with access to mediation and other dispute resolution methods as an alternative to litigation. The Mediation Center also provides training to businesses, schools, organizations, other institutions, and individuals in order to enhance conflict resolution skills throughout the community.

“We’re pleased to welcome Buddy to the Mediation Center’s Board of Directors. I’ve enjoyed working with him as a volunteer and have seen how his impressive skill set has proven beneficial to the center and those we serve,” Mediation Center Executive Director Jill Cheeks said. “I’m thankful he has accepted the position on our board, as I’m confident he’ll lead and serve the community well in his new capacity.”

For more information about The Mediation Center, please visit mediationsavannah.com, call 912-354-6686 or email info@mediationsavannah.com.

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For media inquiries, please contact Hollie Barnidge at hollie@lesleyfrancispr.com or 912-272-8651 or Lesley Francis at lesley@francis.com at 912-429-3950 or the team at 912-417-LFPR (5377).

SAVANNAH, GA – Oct. 2, 2017 – The Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire has announced exciting plans to observe Conflict Resolution Month throughout the month of October. This special month stems from the efforts of many other national, state, and local organizations – including the Association for Conflict Resolution – which have been celebrating conflict resolution during the month of October for years.

This is the first year the Mediation Center is undertaking a series of special initiatives to coincide with this national annual initiative. This Savannah based non-profit organization has been cutting the emotional and financial costs of disputes for thousands of people throughout the region, will commemorate this observance with a series of events and initiatives throughout October.

The month gets under way with the announcement of a collaboration between the Mediation Center and Chatham County Juvenile Court, for the Mediation Center to provide Community Conferencing.

Community Conferencing provides a meaningful community-based response to juvenile crime by empowering the community of people affected by the incident. Young people accused of delinquent offenses have the opportunity to take responsibility for the harm they caused, those affected by the harm play a role in deciding accountability, and residents feel safer in their communities. The Mediation Center provides conference facilitators trained to facilitate challenging conversations and the program is managed by Crystal Commodore, Youth Programs Director of the Mediation Center.

Juvenile Court Presiding Chief Judge LeRoy Burke III, who helped facilitate the system’s utilization of Community Conferencing, is eager for the partnership to yield positive results.

On Monday, Oct. 9, Mediation Center Executive Director Jill Cheeks will continue the month long commemoration by speaking at Armstrong State University on the topic of conflict resolution. This training will be conducted in an organizational communication graduate class.

“College is a time of growth and development to prepare students for future job opportunities. Preparing students to manage difficult situations sets the students up for success personally and professionally,” Cheeks said. “We’ll address common causes of conflict and learn strategies mediators use to support parties in dispute.”

To round out the celebration of October as Conflict Resolution Month, the Mediation Center is joining forces with Greenbriar Children’s Center to make the Children of Peaceful Engagement (COPE) program available to Greenbriar’s residents and clients.

The COPE program teaches children who are going through stressful situations how to better cope with their anger and other emotions and manage their response using proven engagement strategies that focus on understanding and emotional learning. Attendees are school-age children and the delivery method is customized to fit the schedule of the organization.

Greenbriar promotes the healthy development of children and the strengthening of families through an array of services, including emergency shelter, responding to youth who are homeless or have run away, residential care, independent living, family preservation programs, and early childhood education and care. Greenbriar, a Savannah-based nonprofit, also facilitates Savannah’s Project Safe Place program, which provides access to immediate help and supportive resources for youth in need.

Lee Robbins, Programs Director at the Mediation Center, launched COPE earlier this summer. Robbins and his colleague, Crystal Commodore, the Mediation Center’s Youth Programs Director, will implement COPE at Greenbriar, focusing on residents ages 12-
17.

Cheeks encourages community members, clients, supporters and potential volunteers to learn more about the Mediation Center’s services and resources in October and throughout the year by visiting mediationsavannah.com or by calling 912-354-6686 to schedule an appointment.

“Celebrating October as Conflict Resolution Month is a great opportunity for us to showcase our offerings to community members who may not be familiar with the Mediation Center’s mission and history,” Cheeks said. “We hope to generate new interest in our volunteer opportunities and increase engagement across the board. The Mediation Center has many valuable resources and we want area residents to know and use what’s available to them.”

The Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire, established in 1986, is a non-profit United Way-funded organization that provides education, training and programs and is dedicated to providing and promoting methods other than litigation for settling disputes. The Center relies upon a dedicated volunteer board of directors and mediators who have experience in business, law, real estate, social work, education, and many other areas. All mediators are registered with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution, under the Supreme Court of Georgia, and they attend annual in-service trainings. For more information about the Mediation Center of The Coastal Empire or any of the planned events, please visit mediationsavannah.com and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

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For media inquiries, please contact Hollie Barnidge at hollie@lesleyfrancispr.com or 912-272-8651 or Lesley Francis at lesley@francis.com at 912-429-3950 or the team at 912-417-LFPR (5377).