October 2024 Newsletter

Donor Appreciation Luncheon

October 22, 2024

12:00-2:00pm

28 E. Main Street

First Federal Building 19th Floor Training Center

Rochester, NY

We warmly invite all our past, present, and prospective donors to join us for a Donor Appreciation Luncheon on the theme of "Promoting Peaceful Dialogue Through Election Season and Beyond." The event will include a lunch buffet, gift basket raffle, and a first look at CDS's exciting new projects in our communities.

Our keynote speaker is Simeon Banister, President & CEO of the Rochester Area Community Foundation. CDS is a proud recipient of a $50,000 operational grant award from RACF which supports our continued programming including our mediation services, community dialogue facilitation, youth services, and training programs.

RSVP to Dorethea Jackson-Smith: djackson@cdsadr.org

Introducing The Peacemaker Society

Join our community of philanthropists who are making an impact on the future of peacemaking across our region.

Named in honor of the Great Peacemaker, whose message of peace led to the creation of the Haundenosaunee Confederacy in the region in which CDS provides our services, the Peacemaker Society is dedicated to expanding peaceful conflict resolution initiatives in our communities.

Members of the Peacemaker Society have made a five year pledge to fund an Impact Area they feel most passionate about.

The Peacemaker Society will meet on a quarterly basis to engage with CDS leadership about creative and innovative opportunities to expand our impact in our communities.

To join, complete the form online here.

IMPACT AREAS

Target your donation to one of our Impact Areas

Community Projects

ANNUAL GIFT: $500 covers the cost of a mediation, restorative justice, conflict skills training, or dialogue facilitation process in an underserved community or neighborhood. Issues may include neighbor or family disputes, conflicts regarding political differences, incidents of bias and hate, or systemic solutions to address complex conflict or harm in communities.

GOAL: Five conflict resolution projects provided at no cost to communities.

Training Scholarships

ANNUAL GIFT: $1,000 provides one full scholarship for a new mediator from an underrepresented community to attend Basic Mediation Training and complete an apprenticeship to obtain mediator certification.

GOAL: Five scholarships for new mediators from Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Indigenous, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, and LGBTQ+ communities.

Youth Programs

ANNUAL GIFT: $10,000 provides an agency serving youth or young adults with a year-long training and technical assistance program such as Peer Mediation, Anger Management, or Restorative Practices

GOAL: Three youth or young adult programs provided at no cost to community agencies.

CDS Peacemaker General Fund

This fund is used to support any of the areas with the greatest need at any given time.

For more information about the Peacemaker Society or to learn how you can invest in the future of the Center for Dispute Settlement, contact President/CEO Shira May, smay@cdsadr.org

Your tax-deductible contribution helps us provide services to people who need them the most

CDS Training Institute

Upcoming Trainings

Custody & Visitation Mediation Training

October 21-22, 2024

First Federal Building, Rochester, NY

For current volunteers and staff who have completed Basic Mediation Training.

To register, contact Ronalyn Pollack: rpollack@cdsadr.org

SCARY Conversations: How to Have Authentic Dialogue About The 2024 Election

October 25, 2024, 9:00-10:30AM

Virtual training via Zoom

Fee: $25 - Open to the public

Do you find it scary to enter conversations about the upcoming election? Are you looking for ways to increase your confidence and effectiveness when discussing your views with people who may not agree with you? Join us to learn specific and usable tools for maintaining your composure, expressing your values, and listening with curiosity across the political divide.

Register in advance to receive the Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYsdeyhqTwrHtdkDIED99F33GcB8faWOF04

Celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day

Monday, October 14, 2024

7:00 AM - 7:00 PM

1000 E River Rd, Rochester, NY

Join the Indigenous Peoples Day Committee in Rochester NY on October 14, 2024 to honor and celebrate Indigenous Peoples and Cultures from all over Turtle Island!

On June 14, 2022, Rochester City Council passed and the Mayor signed a Certified Ordinance stating that the City of Rochester shall recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the Second Monday in October, and that Indigenous Peoples’ Day shall replace Columbus Day on all documents and calendars. In celebration of our third year, the Indigenous Peoples’ Day committee has planned a variety of activities that encourage understanding and appreciation of Indigenous Peoples and their traditions and culture all across Turtle Island, thus promoting the well-being and growth of the Rochester Indigenous communities. Indigenous Peoples’ Day gives our greater community an opportunity to reflect upon the ongoing struggles of Indigenous peoples on this land, and to celebrate the thriving culture and value that Onöndowága:’ (Seneca) and other Indigenous nations add to the City of Rochester.

For details, visit: https://www.indigenouspeoplesdayrocny.org/events/indigenous-peoples-day-2024

October is LGBTQ+ History Month

LGBTQ+ History Month was founded in 1994 by high school history teacher Rodney Wilson. It is an opportunity to celebrate and commemorate the history and civil rights movements of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other communities related to gender and sexual identity.

October 16 is also International Pronouns Day, which began in 2018 and aims to make respecting, sharing, and educating about pronouns commonplace.

Our staff recently attended SafeZone Training through Rainbow Seniors Roc, a local group that advocates and provides services for Greater Rochester area seniors (50+). One of the topics we explored was how CDS staff and volunteers can be respectful of everyone's gender pronouns. Given that we can't always know what someone's gender pronoun is by looking at them, we can practice inclusion by introduce ourselves using our own pronouns, as well as asking for the other person's pronouns (e.g., "Hi, I'm Mary, and I use she/her pronouns. How would you like me to refer to you?"). We can also include our pronouns in our email signature and on our Zoom screen.

Consistently using a person's correct gender pronouns goes a long way towards creating a culture of inclusion and respect. When someone is referred to by the wrong pronoun, they may feel disrespected, dismissed, or hurt. If you do unintentionally refer to someone by the wrong pronoun, simply apologize and correct yourself without calling a lot of attention to the error; this helps reduce embarrassment.

Many people are learning about the importance of gender pronouns for the first time, so this is a learning opportunity. By continuing your own learning and practicing respectful strategies around gender pronouns, you will be setting an example for others.

For more information:

https://news.syr.edu/blog/2023/09/29/lgbtq-history-month-a-milestone-to-reflect-celebrate-and-grow-community/

https://lgbtq.ucsf.edu/pronounsmatter

https://www.rainbowseniorsroc.com/

Agency Updates

Our staffing in our Finance/Operations office has changed. Patrick Brice, our Bookkeeper, is now managing all day-to-day financial processes. Please direct inquiries to billing@cdsadr.org.

We are grateful for our continuing work with Flaherty Salmin CPAs who are providing our accounting services.

Will you help make a difference today?



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