Current service opportunities
The University Retirees Volunteer Center (URVC) provides numerous opportunities for UMRA to fulfill its service mission. Among the many impactful opportunities URVC coordinates we want to bring to your attention are several projects that currently have strong and immediate need for volunteers.
Academic Integrity Matters (AIM). Serve on a panel of University community volunteers to help students who have not complied with the student conduct code to understand the broader implications of their decisions. Based on the principles of restorative justice, AIM panels engage students in discovering positive approaches to remediating their behavior. Email Katelyn Sanders to become a community member panelist.
Experiential Learning Ensemble. This education program at the U of M Law School allows community members to participate in a simulated trial with first-year law students, instructors, faculty, and administrators to provide important educational experiences by bringing client perspective to the forefront of legal education. To learn more and apply, click on this link or contact the URVC office at [email protected] or 612-625-8016.
Music Perception Auditory Study. Assist researchers in the U of M Auditory Perception and Cognition Laboratory to discover more about how the ear and brain work together to interpret the complex array of acoustic information (speech, music, and environmental sounds) that people encounter in everyday life. Volunteers will participate in listening evaluations under headphones while following the researcher’s directions. To register, please email Heather Kreft or call 612-626-4693.
Neighborhood House. Play a hands-on role in ensuring families have timely access to fresh, nutritious food. Located in St. Paul’s West Side, Neighborhood House provides an array of services for thousands of refugees, immigrants, and others in transition or crisis. UMRA volunteers are needed to assist in harvesting and packing a wide variety of fresh vegetables and more during this harvest season. Volunteers are needed Saturday mornings, 9 a.m. to noon, throughout October. To register, email Nichole Shovin at Neighborhood House.
Reader/Writer. Help Minneapolis public school students in grades 7 through 12 to develop and improve their writing skills. Each year this program engages hundreds of students with a wide range of abilities. You will be paired with a student who will submit writing projects by mail twice a month for you to read, edit, and comment on. You will send your comments in the provided self-addressed, stamped envelopes. With school now underway, it is a great time to share your skills with students who want and need your assistance. To register, please complete this Reader/Writer registration form or contact the URVC office at [email protected] or 612-625-8016.
Meals on Wheels. Provide direct support for seniors and people with disabilities by delivering meals during the lunch hour. Opportunities are available throughout the metro area to provide nutrition and a friendly face for those in need. Scheduling is flexible to accommodate your availability. To register for this activity, email Kala or call Metro Meals on Wheels at 612-623-3363.
—Jerry Rinehart, URVC Leadership Council chair, and Deanne Magnusson, URVC vice-chair and projects director
News
UMRA hosted delegates from 14 of the 18 schools in the Big Ten for the 2026 Big Ten Retirees Association conference in July. It was described as “the perfect collaboration” by two delegates we invited to share a few of their key takeaways from the conference.
Developing communication skills is the focus of two programs needing volunteers this fall: the “Reader/Writer Program,” assisting students in Minneapolis Public Schools grades 7-12 to develop literacy skills; and “Partners in English,” engaging in conversation with adults for whom English is not their first language.
After being unexpectedly sidelined at the outset of her retirement, Pam Snopl now enjoys doing many of the things retirees get to do, including reconnecting in person with family and friends, going to museums and weekday Minnesota Twins games, reading, and writing.
UMRA member George Swan retired in 2021 after 30+ years at University Libraries, but still returns to campus to visit one or another of the libraries at least twice a week in his current role as a student/retiree.
UMRA’s Professional Development Grants for Retirees program is an annual competition for grants to support projects related to retirees’ research, instructional history, new scholarly or creative interests.
UMRA needs everyone to renew their membership for the coming year. Thank you if you’ve already renewed! If you haven’t, please renew right away.