“THE WORK THEY ARE DOING IN OUR SCHOOLS IS TRANSFORMING YOUNG LIVES AND I’M SO GRATEFUL TO BE A PART OF THAT.”

Finding My Place

I worked as a paralegal in the Chicago area for over 30 years. After the attacks on 9/11 I just didn’t want to be in a law office anymore so I decided to make a career change. I spent the next few years learning about Balanced and Restorative Justice, and working with adolescents who had been arrested. I wanted to keep them in school and out of the juvenile justice system.

When my husband retired, we decided to move to Michigan but I worried about finding similar work. Luckily, I saw a video of a peer mediation group from a Kalamazoo Public School. A few clicks and a Google search brought me to Gryphon Place.

Creating Peace and Resolving Conflict

I began volunteering for Gryphon Place at Maple School, Hillside School and Loy Norrix High School. Gryphon Place gives students a place to go when they are struggling with conflicts and challenges in their daily lives. Using peace circles and other Balanced and Restorative Justice methods, I offer students a safe environment where they are respected and they can share what’s on their minds.

When a group of students at one of my schools had gotten into a bit of an altercation, I facilitated a peace circle with them, their parents and representatives of the school. During this time, the girls and their parents were each given a chance to speak and be heard. They spoke directly to one another instead of listening to rumors at school or on social media. Everyone felt safe and respected. Eventually, everyone agreed to keep this from happening again. It was great to see them resolve their issues in a restorative, peaceful and effective way.

I’m so grateful that Gryphon Place is willing to go out on a limb for these kids. We help kids discover new ways to approach conflict without violence and anger. A lot of kids don’t know how to do that.

My name is Mary, and now I help change the story.

Help From

With the generous help of Gryphon Place, Mary was able to change the story.

Health

We are making sure people have access to physical and mental health care, and that babies are born healthy. We work with health care providers to keep costs low and make sure services are available for those with little or no health insurance.

Income

We’re helping families become – and stay – self-sufficient by investing in programs that help them stay in their homes, through rental assistance, budgeting and financial counseling. We also help people become financially stable by supporting job training and retention programs, and through the Tax Counseling Initiative and the Emergency Food and Shelter program.