Fundraiser benefits programming to solve conflicts and disputes
By Scott Iwasaki for the Park Record (September 3, 2024)
Mountain Mediation Center’s mission is “bringing people together to prevent conflict, resolve disputes and improve communication for a more inclusive community,” said Nicole Wozniak, the nonprofit’s communications and event coordinator.
The nonprofit does this by providing mediation services, landlord and tenant education, communication training and community conversations.
Mountain Mediation Center is known for the following pillars:
- Improving our community’s communications skills with its Let’s Talk trainings and Community Conversations
- Preventing eviction and homelessness by helping landlords and tenants communicate together and through tenant education
- Mediating conflicts on a sliding scale, including domestic mediations that create better outcomes for couples going through divorce and ensure positive outcomes for their children
It also makes sure that these programs and training sessions are affordable to individuals, organizations, schools and businesses in Summit and Wasatch counties, Wozniak said.
“We are providing access to justice on free and sliding scales,” she said.
In order to continue this, Mountain Mediation Center will host its second annual Pizza at the Pendry! Fundraiser from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 13, at Disco Pizza in the Pendry Hotel at Canyons Village. Tickets can be purchased at mountainmediationcenter.org/events.
“There will be lots of pizza and a lot of good company and conversations,” Wozniak said. “There will also be information about the needs facing our community and how Mountain Mediation is innovating to address those issues.”
“So, this will be a great opportunity for those who don’t know about us to learn about us, and for people of may have attended last year or who have supported us in the past, this will be a great refresher and update of the things we’ve been doing over the past year,” she said.
The night will also include a silent auction and opportunity drawing, according to Wozniak.
Items include ski tickets, gift cards to local restaurants and free popcorn passes to Park City Film.
“We are also auctioning off an Egyptian Theatre Pharaoh membership and more to be announced,” she said, noting that the opportunity drawing’s grand prize will also be announced soon.
Opportunity drawing tickets can also be purchased online, and ticket holders don’t have to be present to win, Wozniak said.
“Obviously we would love to see them at the event, but if they want to support MMC and can’t attend, they can still buy tickets,” she said. “Also, the silent auction will be live digitally on our website.”
Wozniak is grateful for the support of local businesses and organizations who have donated items for the auction and drawing.
“To see support from our community is so impactful to us,” she said. “We’re such a small organization with only four staff members and a fantastic team of volunteer mediators and volunteers who run our training. So, we really appreciate the support.”
Wozniak is also thankful for Mountain Mediation Center’s partnership with the Pendry Hotel.
“They supported us with our first fundraiser last year, and this is a fantastic and great partnership,” she said. “Disco Pizza is an intimate space but still has room for many people to come and gather and learn more about Mountain Mediation Center.”
Mountain Mediation Center is on track to assist 1,500 people this year through community outreach, mediations, communication trainings and community conversations, Wozniak said.
“A lot of our work is building relationships by tabling events and showcasing what we have to offer and getting people educated about their rights,” she said. “The current climate is very divisive, and I think now, more than ever, it’s important to give people skills to effectively communicate with each other. So, holding trainings allows people to improve their communications skills and offers the opportunity to prevent conflict before it occurs. It’s also important to remember that court is expensive and time consuming.”
Mediation also gives people an opportunity to listen, Wozniak said.
“We provide a basis for people to consider and understand different perspectives a little better, rather than have them go into a situation and not engage,” she said. “All voices are valuable and deserve a space where they can communicate effectively, rather than just avoiding conversations we don’t want to have.”
Mountain Mediation Center’s Pizza at the Pendry! Fundraiser
- When: 5-7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 13
- Where: Disco Pizza at the Pendry Hotel at Canyons Village
- Registration: mountainmediationcenter.org/events
- Web: mountainmediationcenter.org