The Mediation Center works to create opportunity from conflict — providing neutral, confidential, and voluntary conflict resolution services for families, neighbors, co-workers, and community members across Western North Carolina, including Transylvania County. Rather than imposing outcomes, trained mediators guide participants through a collaborative process that allows them to craft their own solutions, building communication skills and reducing the likelihood of future disputes.
The Community Mediation Program in Transylvania County is heavily volunteer-driven, with more than 90% of conflicts mediated by trained community volunteers — making it both locally grounded and cost-effective. In a recent program year, the Center completed intake with 103 Transylvania County residents across 54 conflicts; 68 residents participated in mediation sessions, and 48 reached resolution — a resolution rate of over 70%. That represented a significant increase from the prior year, when 34 residents completed intake and 16 participated in mediation.
Many of the conflicts the Center sees involve housing — situations where escalating tensions between people who must continue living or working together risk police involvement, eviction, or displacement. The Center also serves Spanish-speaking residents through bilingual staff and volunteer mediators, and most clients are low-income.
Lake Toxaway Charities is proud to support the Community Mediation Program’s staffing costs, including the coordinator who manages cases and supports volunteer mediators in Transylvania County. Partner organizations include Pisgah Legal Services, SAFE, and the district court, which refer clients for whom mediation is a more effective path than legal action alone.
Volunteer Opportunities
The Mediation Center needs more volunteer mediators in Transylvania County. Volunteers complete a 50-hour training and agree to mediate twice a month for at least two years. Volunteers can become certified as North Carolina District Criminal Court mediators. Volunteers practice in pairs. Many long-term volunteers report that they enjoy mediating both because of their interest in humans and their stories, and also because it provides an opportunity for continual learning. Please contact Laura Jeffords, Executive Director, for more information about becoming a volunteer.
Learn More: https://mediatewnc.org/
