Volunteer Opportunities: Be a 'Help at Your Door' volunteer
Based in Roseville, Help At Your Door is a nonprofit organization that serves the seven-county Twin Cities Metro Area. Its mission: “to help seniors and individuals with disabilities maintain their independence and continue living in their homes” (helpatyourdoor.org ). From giving rides to painting and maintenance projects to shopping for groceries, Help at Your Door’s volunteers step up to serve this mission. As a volunteer, you can enjoy a flexible schedule and develop meaningful relationships with those you serve.
Here are a few of the ways you can help:
Home Helper: From organizing bookshelves to washing windows and dusting, help individuals with light household tasks that would otherwise be challenging to complete.
Handyperson: Help with projects like interior and exterior painting, hanging pictures, changing light bulbs and smoke detector batteries, and more.
Driver: Love to drive? Give a ride. Help clients who lack transportation to get back and forth safely from their appointments or errands.
Delivery Assistant: Ride with a Help at Your Door delivery person and assist with unloading and unpacking clients’ grocery orders in their kitchens.
Order Taker: Volunteer for half an hour at your home to call seniors and place their grocery orders online.
Shopper: Start your morning by filling client grocery orders at one of selected store locations.
Want to learn more? Contact the University Retirees Volunteer Center at 612-625-8016 or [email protected]. We’ll connect you with the Help at Your Door volunteer coordinator.
― Sally Schakel, URVC office volunteer
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: