Spring volunteer opportunities in the community and on the Twin Cities campus
The University Retirees Volunteer Center provides opportunities for people to use their knowledge, skills, and interests in service to the University of Minnesota and surrounding communities. In the past year, more than 500 volunteers chose from a range of opportunities, contributing 7,000 service hours individually and as part of UMRA’s Silver Gopher Service Corps.
UMRA members Marjorie Savage and Michelle Trudeau-Spanjers, for example, volunteered with Great River Greening, a Minnesota-based organization that works to restore woodlands and prairies by removing invasive plants and planting native species and pollinator plants.
“It gave me the opportunity to be outdoors—with a purpose,” Savage said.
Working with Great River Greening, the Silver Gopher Service Corps is now recruiting volunteers to use their smart phones and the iNaturalist app to photograph plants, insects, and critters and then crowdsource species identification. Savage and Trudeau-Spanjers will facilitate the first session of this team-oriented project on Saturday, April 13.
Future Gopher Admitted Day
In addition, some 60 volunteers are needed to assist the Office of Admissions with “Future Gopher Admitted Day” events on the Twin Cities campus on March 1, 16, or April 6. The program provides newly admitted students an exciting introduction to the campus and their colleges.
Contact the Volunteer Center at [email protected] or 612-625-8016 for details.
—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.