A Community Thrives Grant Challenge for MMC

Please help Mountain Mediation Center, Inc. (MMC) expand its Community Building efforts!

We have a goal of $3,000 to unlock more grant funding through the "A Community Thrives" Grant Challenge from Gannett Foundation. Between July 19 and August 13 any donation made online will help MMC qualify for this opportunity.

A thriving community is an inclusive community, one in which all people can make their voices heard and have their ideas implemented. As a community-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to resolve and prevent conflict, MMC provides opportunities for residents of Summit and Wasatch counties to engage in constructive conversation, establish cross-cultural relationships, and develop the confidence needed to more actively participate in civic life. 

With just one part-time Spanish-speaking staff member and a volunteer intern, MMC has been able to conduct critical outreach to the Latinx community to:

• Provide live and recorded presentations and written materials to inform local residents about the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants
• Offer free/low-cost mediation services (in English and Spanish) to tenants and landlords seeking to resolve disputes and avoid eviction or other costly legal proceedings
• Assist people with limited incomes in resolving/filing for divorce, co-parenting conflicts, and other matters outside of the courtroom through collaborative problem-solving processes (mediation, restorative justice practices) that preserve relationships and build communication skills
• Assist people with needed language interpretation (and necessary technological support during COVID) to actively participate in our ongoing Community Conversation series and other MMC events

But we need to do so much more. YOUR DONATION TODAY WILL:

1. Allow MMC to expand our Outreach/Program Coordinator position from part-time to a full-time time position with benefits, providing a permanent leadership position within our nonprofit for a diverse woman
2. Ensure MMC can continue to offer meaningful work experience and mentoring to Latinx and other youth through our internship program
3. Provide needed language interpretation at MMC events and enable all written materials to be translated into Spanish
4. Enable MMC to expand its outreach to the Latinx community to provide conflict resolution services and help ensure those in need of other community-based support are able to fully access it

Highlights of our Recent Accomplishments include: 

• Facilitated 42 mediations and entered into a new partnership with Utah Legal Aid to help clients file necessary paperwork to complete their divorce 
• Hosted 7 Bilingual Community Conversations (several in partnership with other local organizations) on topics including: cultural differences; mental health awareness; LGBTQIA+ community concerns, and community involvement/civic participation
• Distributed more than 400 Landlord/Tenant Toolkits to local residents facing affordable housing challenges
• Co-Hosted with the Restorative Justice Collaborative of Utah (RJCU) an online forum on using RJ practices in communities, schools and the justice system to limit school “push-out” and help break the school to prison pipeline
• Developed a new RJ-based training/education program for organizations seeking to build stronger relationships among constituencies and implement more trauma-informed approaches to conflict resolution.

For more information about MMC's programs/services please visit our website. If you have any questions please email mountainmediation.outreach@gmail.com.