Soon, when you visit the UMRA website, you’ll find a big yellow button marked “UMRA Salon” in the upper right corner of the home page. Click on it and you’ll be taken to the UMRA Salon, a new online bulletin board and discussion area for members of UMRA.

Take a look at what people are talking about or log in with your U of M internet ID (x500 user name) and password to join the discussion. Here you can share and react to all kinds of topics—requests for rides or services, announcements from UMRA leadership, volunteer opportunities, classified ads, and whatever else you and others would like to talk about. You can share recipes, share photos, review books, ask for help, and generally discuss any of the things you would discuss in person with friends.

The idea for the UMRA Salon came from discussions about ways to build community among UMRA members, especially those who aren’t able to attend our monthly luncheons. More structured than Facebook, the UMRA Salon is intended to be a place where you can interact across the barriers of distance and disability to build friendships.

Please check it out and let us know what you think. We welcome your feedback and suggestions.

—Ron Matross, chair, UMRA Cares Committee, [email protected]; and Cathy Lee Gierke, UMRA webmaster, [email protected]