The Advoz Blog

Stories of resolution, healing and more

Advoz Restorative Justice Programs in Lancaster, PA

Read more about the work of Advoz in mediation, restorative practices and education for a more connected community.

Role-Modeling Restorative Practices

Role-Modeling Restorative Practices

As I write this blog, I am in my ninth week of interning with Advoz: Mediation & Restorative Practices. It has been a healing experience for me to work with Advoz staff and volunteers because they center relationships in all aspects of their work. I have witnessed...

Interning for Mediation: Riley Sloat

Interning for Mediation: Riley Sloat

I am Riley Sloat, and I am currently a senior at Elizabethtown Senior Highschool. I am interested in having a career as a mediator due to the business and Personal Law class I took in my sophomore year, wherein part of the curriculum was to do a mock...

Making Peace Workshop Referral

We just published an updated referral form for our Making Peace Workshop (below). As more partners in our juvenile justice system are again working in person, this is an incredibly valuable resource to build communication and conflict resolution skills in every...

Intern Stories: Meet Brelan Wilcher

harm caused within the community. In one way, it aims to achieve this by serving as a bridge that two or more individuals can cross to resolve conflicts through their mediation programs. The organization also partners with the Juvenile Justice System to speak with individuals who have caused harm to the community and help them take steps to make things right.

Working Upstream to Undo “Criminal Minds”

Working Upstream to Undo “Criminal Minds”

By Chris Fitz "Matthew” was only 13 years old. But this wasn’t his first run-in with the law. In our meeting, he fluently relayed the ways that adults in his neighborhood called the police about him—and how those complaints added up. He used terms like “complaint,”...

On Collaboration

On Collaboration

In the following post, I will explore what I learned about collaboration while creating the last two infographics in partnership with friends and Chris Fitz. This is the sequel to last week's blog post and the final in a series covering a new set of infographics....

Adjusting to Move Forward: 2019-20 Annual Report

Adjusting to Move Forward: 2019-20 Annual Report

As we reflect on the last 18 months, we want to thank each of you for helping Advoz arrive in 2021 in a stronger position than we were before COVID-19 first hit. Looking back to last year, right before the pandemic, we had experienced an organizational change with a...

Intern Stories: Meet Stephanie Fabian

I am currently a senior at Millersville University majoring in Social Work and minoring in Spanish. Since I was a middle school student, I knew I wanted to help people and advocate for unheard voices of vulnerable populations. My mom and her siblings are from Puebla,...

Living in the Process: An Intern’s Investment

Living in the Process: An Intern’s Investment

By Sara Crouch, Program Intern Restorative justice is first and foremost a process, rather than an outcome. That’s one of the major lessons that I learned as an intern with Advoz this fall. As someone used to learning new skills quickly, it took me a while to...

Advoz Release On Racism And Dialogue

Advoz Release On Racism And Dialogue

The violent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so many other people of color, are tragic, unnecessary and unjust. In acknowledging that we all play a role consciously or subconsciously in the reality of our current position as a community and a nation, we vow...

Adding Voices, Processing Racism

Adding Voices, Processing Racism

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The violent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so many other people of color, are tragic, unnecessary and unjust. In acknowledging that we all play a role consciously or subconsciously in the reality of our current...

Chris Wenden Named New Executive Director

Written by the Advoz Board Advoz welcomes a new Executive Director, Chris Wenden, to focus on program expansion and development throughout Lancaster County. “To continue the mission and expand our work and role in the community, the Board of Directors has recruited...

A Voice of Welcome: Addrienne Whitfield

A Voice of Welcome: Addrienne Whitfield

Advoz has a new friendly voice who could be answering your phone call; Addrienne Whitfield began in September as Advoz’s administrative assistant. She joins the organization from the travel and service industry where she brings extensive customer service experience...

Peacebuilding across Generations: Elliot Martin

Peacebuilding across Generations: Elliot Martin

By Skyler Gibbon, Advoz Intern Hearing his father’s stories around the dinner table inspired Elliot Martin to get involved with Advoz. “It sounded beautiful. There are really important principles of restorative justice. Needing to address the harm in conflict is...

Spreading Peace Across Generations: Tim Martin

Spreading Peace Across Generations: Tim Martin

By Skyler Gibbon, Advoz Intern Meet Tim and Elliot Martin, a father son duo volunteering with Advoz. After years of conversations about cases around the dinner table, Elliot decided to try it out for himself this spring. He joined the victim offender conferencing...

Calling All Volunteer (Peace Makers)

There are many ways one can contribute their time and skills to this work at Advoz! Calls continue into our office: conflicts, crimes, broken relationships. Can you answer this call for peacemakers in our community? We are looking for volunteers to help community...

Welcome Krista Rittenhouse

Welcome Krista Rittenhouse

Krista Rittenhouse got involved with Advoz training and volunteering in our Restorative Justice Conferencing program this spring. But she went above and beyond the call of duty by successfully reaching out to dozens of people impacted by crime and violations on the...

Making Peace ~ Poetry & Practice

Making Peace ~ Poetry & Practice

Each month, youth and parents have a chance to practice being peacemakers in their own world, family, school, friends, community. It's a class called Making Peace and the youth, often referred by Youth Aid Panels from school fights and other first-time incidents,...

New Faces: Jake Rauchberg, Advoz Summer Intern

New Faces: Jake Rauchberg, Advoz Summer Intern

We welcome Jake Rauchberg this summer from Franklin and Marshall College and the Ware Institute for Civic Engagement. He's joined Advoz this summer as a full-time intern, assisting in both programs and community outreach. Welcome Jake! What do you study? I am rising...

New Faces: Jake Rauchberg, Advoz Summer Intern

New Faces: Jake Rauchberg, Advoz Summer Intern

We welcome Jake Rauchberg this summer from Franklin and Marshall College and the Ware Institute for Civic Engagement. He's joined Advoz this summer as a full-time intern, assisting in both programs and community outreach. Welcome Jake! What do you study? I am rising...

New Faces: Skyler Gibbon, Advoz Summer Intern

New Faces: Skyler Gibbon, Advoz Summer Intern

We welcome Skyler Gibbon this summer from Lancaster and Millersville University. She learned about Advoz through our network of partners and mentors and has joined Advoz this summer as our full-time program intern. Welcome Skyler! What do you study? I am an English...

Advoz Names New Officers

Advoz Names New Officers

We are pleased to announce a new slate of officers for our board of directors. Advoz, a Lancaster-based nonprofit providing mediation, restorative justice dialogue and conflict resolution training since 1981, recently named a slate of experienced officers to its...

Creating Peace Takes Effort…and You

Creating Peace Takes Effort…and You

By Chris Fitz When people talk about “peace,” I often hear an assumption of tranquility or calmness. Not usually so at Advoz. German philosopher Immanuel Kant once distinguished between the “peace of the graveyard” in its quiet stillness and a peace wrought by...

Making the Shift Happen, with Neighbors and Politics

Making the Shift Happen, with Neighbors and Politics

“The shift” is often imperceptible in mediation. What starts out as a heated and contentious business negotiation suddenly turns to a rational exchange with voices even and tempers cooled. Soon after, folks in the room are finding their own way toward an agreement,...

Advoz Works with 900+ in Annual Report Highlight

Advoz Works with 900+ in Annual Report Highlight

We’re excited to see increasing stability and growth as Advoz’s had its first full fiscal year as a merged entity ending May 31, 2018. This report outlines the many people engaged in our dialogue programs along with the funds raised and expended for that work. The...

Adding Voice Upstream

Chris Fitz Executive Director, Community Engagement I was on a family hike with my wife and kids a few weeks ago. We descended a wooded trail into a beautiful glen, hearing the ever-louder creek and its gushing current below. But reaching the bottom, we found...

Keeping the Thanks in Thanksgiving Conversation

Keeping the Thanks in Thanksgiving Conversation

Will your family be hosting a circle dialogue this Thanksgiving? Many families have a tradition of going around the table and answering the question, "what are you thankful for this year?" This is a great example of an impromptu circle-- just grab a talking piece (you...

Keeping the Thanks in Thanksgiving Conversation

Keeping the Thanks in Thanksgiving Conversation

Will your family be hosting a circle dialogue this Thanksgiving? Many families have a tradition of going around the table and answering the question, "what are you thankful for this year?" This is a great example of an impromptu circle-- just grab a talking piece (you...

Meet Miles Iati, Advoz program intern

Meet Miles Iati, Advoz program intern

Advoz:  What are you studying these days? Miles:  I am a psychology major focusing on developmental and social psychology. I am interested in research and study of trauma, childhood disorders, and addiction. Advoz: Why were you interested in learning and serving at...

Meet Erin Lee, Advoz program intern

Meet Erin Lee, Advoz program intern

Meet Erin Lee, our full-time program intern this semester. In her first month, she's already brought a wealth of organizing and research talent. So let's get to know her! Advoz: What is your focus of study? Erin: Social work with a sociology minor. My main interests...

This is how we rolled Around the Table

This is how we rolled Around the Table

We are still savoring the inspiration and generosity that flowed from Around the Table, our annual event on April 19. So I wanted to share a few nuggets of inspiration with you...including a hint of the positive feedback that we heard (so far) with the "word cloud"...

Circle Process: What Needs to Be Heard

Circle Process: What Needs to Be Heard

By Circle Process facilitator Daryl Snider (names and details changed to protect privacy) This was the first time everyone had come together since the conflict arose. I felt an odd mixture of stress and delight from the eight people as they arrived for the Circle...

Advoz at One Year

Advoz at One Year

Maybe it’s the work we do with youth. Maybe it’s seeing the dramatic about-face change of heart in a conflict or crime. Maybe it’s the “a ha” you’ve had seeing your own relational skills make a difference around you. It’s clear after one year merging two storied...

Getting the “why” of Advoz

Getting the “why” of Advoz

From Marina McDonough, Advoz fall intern, sophomore at Harrisburg Area Community College Interning in the Advoz office this past fall, I’ve seen some of the most routine and most interesting parts of the work. During one of our weekly meetings, we went through a group...

Sociology Intern’s Observations

  As a self-proclaimed Sociology nerd, I have come to understand that I look at the world through a certain lens. I recognize that I am constantly watching people’s behavior, looking for patterns or looking to see how their behavior fits into patterns already being...

An Eye on Design: What an Intern Sees

Working with Advoz has been incredibly interesting and insightful, not only when it comes to the work that they do, but for myself. I had so many mixed feelings about working here. As a soon to be senior at the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, I was nervous...

Learning about Anger: Intern Reflections

When I think about my time at Advoz, I do not think about anger at all.   But, earlier this week, I observed some juvenile court hearings. I listened to the offenders in their own words while also hearing the judge’s rulings. I became not only angry with the idea...

Start with ‘discourse about discourse’

Start with ‘discourse about discourse’

May 1, 2017 This was published May 1st, 2017 in OP-ED in print and online. Copyright © 2017 LancasterOnline. All Rights Reserved. The April 8 article on the visit of Jonathan Haidt (“America’s Uncivil Discourse”) is a reminder of how the need for civil discussions is...

More than 100 Items for Bid to Benefit Advoz

If you're one of nearly 500 people expected to join us Around the Table with Arun Gandhi on Thursday, May 4th, you can look forward to more than 100 items up for bid. Doors open and silent auction begins at 5 pm, ending at 7 pm. Dinner commences at 6 pm and program...

Restorative schools is a first benefit of merger

Restorative schools is a first benefit of merger

CCP, CRS join to offer proactive, responsive and restorative conflict services under one roof February 16, 2017 was a bitter, cold and blustery day, but that didn’t deter a stalwart band of peace-builders from venturing onto Lancaster’s Penn Square to “flash” the new...

Adding Voice – Advoz is Born

Adding Voice – Advoz is Born

Merger of Center for Community Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution Services unifies dialogue programs The 14 year-old boy looked down at the floor through most of the dialogue session. Then the others in the room, those he had robbed, asked him, “what do you want to...

Lancaster Peacebuilders Join to Create Advoz

Lancaster Peacebuilders Join to Create Advoz

Advoz announced its new name and program vision in a live “flash mob” demonstration on Lancaster’s Penn Square today at Noon. Dozens were on hand to watch and piece together a large sign of the merged organization’s new name and logo. The new organization combines the...

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Advoz Restorative Justice Programs in Lancaster, PA