DIRECT COMMUNITY SERVICE

Beyond Dispute Associates believe that, as peacemakers, we have a responsibility to contribute not only money but time and service to our community.

Carolyn Parr co-founded The Servant Leadership School (www.slschool.org) and Joseph’s House (www.josephshouse.org), where she served as first President and was a Board member for six years.  She recently completed a six-year term on the Board of The Family Place (www.thefamilyplacedc.org).  She has given free trainings at the Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County, MD (www.crcmc.org), Family Place, Jubilee Jobs, and elsewhere in Spanish and English.  She is a founding member and active volunteer with Mediators Beyond Borders (www.mediatorsbeyondborders.org) and hopes to go to Latin America in 2010.  Carolyn is an Advisor to the Spragens Tax Law Clinic at American University Law School and has been a VITA volunteer, preparing tax returns for low-income Spanish speaking taxpayers.  She draws inspiration from The Festival Church, a small, inclusive, faith community dedicated to social justice.

Sig Cohen’s community activities includes being founder of the Hill Havurah (www.hillhavurah.org), a Jewish spiritual community located on Capitol Hill in Washington DC..  As a Board member of the Capitol Hill Group Ministry (www.chgm.net), an interfaith coalition of congregations and individuals serving low-income and homeless families from across the District of Columbia, he chairs the Ministry’s Housing Advocacy Committee.  This group seeks to improve conditions for public housing and low/no income tenants who are at risk of losing their accommodations.  Sig is also a founder of the South Washington/West of the River Family Strengthening Collaborative (www.swwr.org) and serves as a Community Emergency Response Team Member also in Washington, DC.