MCRC started as a grassroots movement and has grown into an independent organization anchored right here in our community. We believe that people already have the strength and capability to navigate their own challenges when they have the right support. Our role is simply to support conversations that restore trust, repair relationships, and strengthen our community.
MCRC Howard County · A Community Approach to Conflict Resolution
“We believe communities already have what they need to heal and thrive.”
Three chapters, thirty-three years, one belief. Here’s how a grassroots movement became the independent center it is today, and why that story is the philosophy.
Read how we got here ↓1993CHAPTER I · FOUNDED
MCRC began in 1993 as a community intervention founded as a grassroots movement by Elder Jean Toomer. Our early years were defined by community and trusted relationship-building.
2001CHAPTER II · HOWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
In 2001, seeking to expand our reach and resources, MCRC found a structural home within Howard Community College’s Department of Social Sciences. This partnership allowed us to deepen our practice over fifteen years, even as our calling remained directly to the people.
2017CHAPTER III · INDEPENDENCE
In 2017, MCRC intentionally transitioned back to our original form: a fully independent, community-rooted collective. To protect this independence and build a sustainable foundation for our future, we established ourselves as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
You don’t need outside institutions telling you how to fix your life. We aren’t here to “fix” or “manage” your situation, but to support our community, guiding the honest conversations needed to restore trust, mend relationships, and bring people back together.
How We Serve Our Community
Our values aren’t a poster on the wall, but what the last three decades taught us.
Equity
We believe that everyone deserves fair access to conflict resolution and restorative practices, regardless of their circumstances, background, or resources.
Collaboration
We believe that meaningful change happens when people work together toward shared goals, honoring each other’s perspectives and strengths.
Gift Economy
We value generosity as the foundation of a gift economy, where services are offered to the community without expecting with no expectation of transaction or profit. This ethos inspires a culture of mutual support, where the collective contributions of time, skills, and resources reflect our shared commitment to equity, inclusion, and community well-being.
Radical Inclusion
We honor and uplift the voices of all individuals in our services, recognizing each person’s inherent wisdom the inherent wisdom each person brings. We center self-determination, supporting individuals in reclaiming agency over their lives and decisions. By addressing and transforming power dynamics, we create spaces where those historically excluded or marginalized can access tools and resources to shape solutions that align with their unique needs and aspirations.
OUR MISSION
Provide widely accessible and affordable conflict resolution services and education that help all community members manage conflict and have difficult conversations in a meaningful, proactive way.
OUR VISION
A strong, vibrant, peaceful community where all members have the strategies, skills, and support to resolve conflict.
What we do now
Community MediationWe coordinate free, accessible mediation to help neighbors work through disagreements together.Restorative Justice & SchoolsWe partner with local schools and youth programs to help students and staff handle harm and build stronger relationships.Re-entry & Family SupportWe work directly with individuals and families navigating the transition home from the Howard County Detention Center, a space to talk, reconnect, and plan for the future.Volunteer TrainingWe train and support the local volunteers who give their time to facilitate these conversations.Funding & OperationsWe manage our day-to-day finances and resources with integrity and transparency.The people who do this work
A governing board representative of the community it serves is the first of the Nine Hallmarks of community mediation. Ours is Howard County, top to bottom.
Staff · Columbia, MD
DawnExecutive Director
KerryDirector of Community Mediation
MargieSchool Coordinator & Restorative Justice Facilitator
JarrenRestorative Justice Facilitator
SharnaAmeriCorps Member, Community Mediation
Board of Directors · independent 501(c)(3) since 2017
Kimberly PfeiferPresident
Tamara SaundersVice President
Alec TaylorTreasurer
Susan BottomleySecretary
Cynthia KippMember
Jazmyn PadmoreMember
Tammatha O’BrienMember
Roxie TossieMember
Roger MeadeMember
GET INVOLVED
Our mediators are your neighbors
The work runs on trained community volunteers. No prior background needed, and we train and support you the whole way.
If you’re stuck in a conflict, we’ll sit with you.
Get startedFounded 1993Independent 501(c)(3) since 2017EIN 61-1822581Candid Platinum 2025