(Left to right) Peter's daughter Jennifer Bishop, Peter Blau, Peter's wife Lucia Blau, and Bill Nelson, Director of Correctional Services for Volunteers of America-Minnesota.

Volunteer Honored By Mpls. St. Paul Magazine

Peter Blau, a volunteer at Volunteers of America–Minnesota’s Regional Corrections Center (RCC), was honored for “a spirit of caring that flows deep and strong,” as well as for his contributions as a volunteer, a leader and a role model, by Mpls.St.Paul Magazine at their 20th Anniversary “2008 Volunteer Hall of Fame” reception on September 25. 

Since 2003, Blau has dedicated more than 500 hours to the incarcerated women of our RCC as a volunteer creative writing teacher. The weekly three-hour class he instructs is called, “Writing for Understanding and Change.” 

Blau is a compassionate teacher who serves as both mentor and father figure for his students whose crimes range from misdemeanors to felony offenses. Many of the women he teaches have been victims of domestic and sexual abuse and tend to distrust men in general. In some cases, Blau is the first man who has treated them with respect and dignity. Furthermore, Blau is an active listener. He considers listening as a critical component in bringing out the inherent talents of his students. He also pushes them hard. He encourages them. As a result, his students are eager to learn and feel confident taking risks in their writing. 

“You would be amazed at how creative writing can lead people on the path of self-discovery,” Blau says. “It is a powerful tool.” His guided writing exercises help women discover their inner voice and gain insight to the issues contributing to their incarceration. Often, these writing sessions resemble a support group where abuse, drug addiction, homelessness and abandonment are common themes in the stories and poems. Additionally, some women use their writing as a tool for conflict resolution. But all of the women are eager to share their writing and, in the process, receive validation from fellow students. “The honesty is really amazing,” Blau says. “We’re trying to build a community, and when the women in class start to support each other, healing can begin.”

Blau says he volunteers because he finds his student’s raw, yet creative, writing methods inspiring and because he has fun doing it. Furthermore, he reveals, “I don’t see criminals, I see writers. Sometimes I get more out of the class than they do.”

When Peter Blau, is not volunteering at the RCC, he is a self-employed writing instructor who currently works with The Loft Literary Center, Whittier International School (Elementary), Minneapolis/St. Paul Community Education and Normandale Community College.

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