St. Louis Mennonite Peace Center

Mission
The mission of the St. Louis Mennonite Peace Center is to respond to Jesus' call to be peacemakers in the world by working in our local communities to provide alternative responses to conflict and violence.
In pursuing this mission, the St. Louis Mennonite Peace Center seeks to:

1. Focus  its work in underserved neighborhoods;
2. Enhance local communities through open green spaces, such as the Columbia Peace and Hope Community and School Garden;
3. Offer training in Community Mediation and provide free Community Mediation services for neighborhood disputes;
4. Provide Restorative Justice services, training, and education in local communities, schools, and churches; and
5. Educate the public on peace and justice issues of the day.

Vision
The vision of the St. Louis Mennonite Peace Center is to create a more peaceful St. Louis through conflict resolution and community development.

History
The St. Louis Mennonite Peace Center was jointly established in 1999 by Bethesda Mennonite Church and the St. Louis Mennonite Fellowship to live out the Christian gospel of peace and justice that is central to the Mennonite faith. The Peace Center responded to this call to action by providing conflict resolution training and mediation services to people in all walks of life and of all faiths in St. Louis. Since it was founded the Peace Center has relied on an annual service commitment by a Mennonite Voluntary Service worker to lead its efforts. In 2003 the Peace Center welcomed Mary Hellwig, a skilled and energetic mediator and community member, to join its efforts. Mary's vision and enthusiasm helped expand the Peace Center's Mediation Program, and she founded the Columbia Peace and Hope Garden and peer mediation programs at Columbia Elementary School. Mary continues to lead the Community Mediation Program and offer trainings in conflict resolution for the Peace Center.

Who We are Today!
Since its incorporation as a 501 (c)(3) organization in 1999, the Peace Center has expanded its peacemaking efforts to be a holistic community peace center that focuses on improving the many aspects of a community that contribute to a peaceful neighborhood, such as the environment, communication and conflict resolution, education, and access to resources. Programs that work to address these issues are focused in underserved communities and include community mediation, conflict resolution skill training, school peer mediation, and school and community gardening. Our school programs are focused in Columbia Elementary School in the Jeff Vander Lou neighborhood, and the Community Mediation program works in collaboration with Community Conflict Services to serve the greater St. Louis Metro area.
The Peace Center is excited to continue growing and developing its peacemaking efforts to best serve the St. Louis community!