Silver Gopher Service Corps by the numbers
UMRA members have logged nearly 200 hours of volunteer service to the University and broader community through the Silver Gopher Service Corps since its launch six months ago. Fifty different volunteers have filled 70 openings—assisting with "Sneak Preview" undergraduate recruiting events, greeting students at convocation and helping them move into residence halls during Welcome Week, and packing weekend meals for elementary school students facing food insecurity at home.
Silver Gopher projects fill an important need for service and promote a team-oriented experience, allowing UMRA members to get to know each other while volunteering together.
Additional, near-term opportunities include landscape restoration projects with Great River Greening and welcoming prospective students and families to the U Admissions Office “Minnesota Experience” program. Going forward, the Silver Gopher program goal is to establish an annual series of opportunities for UMRA members.
If volunteering and getting to know more UMRA colleagues are among your goals for the new academic year, sign up for one of the projects announced through the UMRA-MEMBERS listserv and come for the fun (and work!) on the assigned day and time. To help promote UMRA in the community and present a team identity, participants are encouraged to wear a Silver Gopher Service Corps t-shirt or other U of M gear. To purchase one of these fine shirts for $15, email UMRA member Scott Elton.
—Jerry Rinehart, University Retirees Volunteer Center Leadership Council chair
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.
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.
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.
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.