Volunteer Center: Connecting people to projects that really make a difference
As we recently have seen, former President Jimmy Carter’s version of “retirement” was certainly remarkable. What if we—U of M retirees—all started the new year stepping up our efforts to make the world better? The University Retirees Volunteer Center (URVC) can connect you to projects that really do make a difference in the lives of individuals and our community.
This list of ongoing opportunities provides an overview of many areas needing your help: researchers, the arts community, the environment, youth. Also, we’ve just received “save the dates” for Silver Gopher team engagement in new student recruitment events this spring: February 28, March 22, and April 12. All are welcome, and more information will be forthcoming.
The data regarding URVC activity is probably familiar to you: approximately 500 volunteers contributing 8,000 hours each year. The numbers are important, but hours are the input provided to our communities. The real value of volunteer work is the output or impact of these contributions. What difference does the impact make? While harder to calculate, the impact of URVC volunteers’ activity will be a focus of future articles.
Stay tuned for upcoming stories, and please contact the URVC office to get started on making a difference in 2025!
—Jerry Rinehart, URVC Leadership Council chair