Finding purpose through volunteering
Jeanne Jacobson’s job in high school, as a receptionist at Hastings Hospital, was more fortuitous than most first jobs. “The person who trained me was very excited to be heading off to nursing school,” Jacobson recalled recently. That excitement rubbed off, and Jacobson ended up with a nursing degree.
She held many leadership positions at the University of Minnesota before her career took her to Fairview Southdale and, later, to a corporate position at HealthEast. She finished her professional life as the director of graduate studies in nursing at St. Kate’s.
Jacobson was serving on many boards of directors at the time of her retirement, but turned to volunteering as a guardian ad litem, which she loved. “I met lots of wonderful families,” she said. But the volunteer program was converted to a more formal, budgeted one.
Accustomed to being super busy, Jacobson felt she “needed to find something more fulfilling. I needed a purpose.” She found the University of Minnesota Retirees Volunteer Center (URVC) website, and was attracted to volunteering with the Community Teachers for Health Professional Students program at the U.
Jacobson corralled her husband into helping at the Wellstone Center Food Market, part of the nonprofit Neighborhood House in St. Paul, working with immigrants and refugees. That led to Jacobson’s passion for working with ESL [English as a second language] students and the Tutoring in Your Community Program at Arlington Church, where she assists groups of students developing their language skills. In addition, she is working one-on-one with a student in the Reader/Writer Program at Franklin Middle School. Most recently, Jacobson started training with the International Institute of Minnesota to assist immigrants and refugees seeking U.S. citizenship.
“The number of possibilities URVC offers is wonderful!” Jacobson said. “You just figure out what works for you.”
To learn more about volunteer opportunities available through URVC, please call 612-625-8016 or visit urvc.umn.edu where you can register to receive information related to your areas of interest.
—Peggy Mann Rinehart
News
The election of UMRA officers and new board members for 2024–25 will be conducted via an online poll from May 13 to 19, with the results to be announced at our annual meeting on May 21. Look for the ballot in your email inbox on May 13. Diane Young has been nominated to be president-elect.
“I convinced myself I could handle this problem without support groups or doing additional research, but that’s only because I didn’t want to make it any more real than it already was. Denial comes in many forms, and one is to avoid thinking about the problem any more than need be.” —Alice A. Larson
Meet UMRA member Peter Moe. He retired in 2023 after a career that spanned nearly half a century at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and is credited with developing the “Arb” into one of the few in the U.S. with world-class fruit and landscape breeding programs.
The University Retirees Volunteer Center (URVC) has welcomed two new members with valuable skills and experience to the URVC Leadership Council: Lynn Slifer and Jeanne Jacobson.
The University plans to remove retirees from the @umn.edu internet identity domain on December 7. UMRA has advocated for ensuring continued access to this identity (including email, Google Workspace, and associated services), citing University retirees’ enduring contributions to and engagement with the University. Thus far, our efforts have not prompted any change of plans.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to explore your photographic interests, hone your photographic skills, and hear what other retirees are up to, the UMRA Photo Club is a great place to be. We have fun! And whatever your skill level, there is room for everybody.
Leading the online Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays has been a labor of love for Kris Bettin. Alas, a change in family needs has necessitated her retirement. So, JOIE is seeking a new leader to join a savvy editorial committee of five and bring fresh ideas for continued development of the UMRA-sponsored journal.
Soon you will receive an email or letter inviting you to renew your UMRA membership for the 2024–25 year. Please renew before you get busy with your summer activities. Your support helps to make our programs and many other member benefits possible!
This will be a new regular column where you can find organizational tasks that need your help! We are currently looking for help researching a new UMRA Membership Database and URVC volunteer database, and a co-producer for UMRA's Zoom webinars. See more details:
Meet UMRA member Millie Woodbury, a lifelong world traveler whose favorite place on campus is Aisle C, Seat 24, at Northrop Auditorium.
Eight retirees from the Twin Cities and Morris campuses have been chosen to receive 2024 awards from UMRA’s Professional Development Grants for Retirees Program. As in previous years, their projects cover a diverse set of topics, reflecting the breadth of studies and continuing professional activities undertaken by University retirees.