What's in an hour?
The year before Peggy and I retired, our son was hospitalized for over three months for issues related to his disabilities. During those dark days, as we walked the hospital halls we occasionally heard piano music floating up from the atrium, and we would see a red-shirted volunteer at the keyboard.
We would stop and listen for a few minutes and find that the gentle music made things seem a little better. Obviously, nothing measurable changed in our situation, but I always felt that when we returned to Ross’s room, our capacity to cope had been refreshed.
That is one way to look at the impact of a volunteer’s service.
I carried with me those musical interludes. As my retirement day approached, I began to think maybe I could revive and revamp the guitar skills of my college days and do something good with them. I knew I would need to develop a completely different set of skills and repertoire to play in that environment, so I went to work. I signed with an online instructor, and five years later I auditioned at the hospital that had treated my son so well. I soon found myself playing next to the piano in the atrium, and later I was asked to play in the more intense setting of the surgery waiting room.
The thank-yous and warm smiles I get from visitors and staff suggest the music does make a difference. And I’ve gotten a few other musicians to join me by posting the opportunity on the University Retirees Volunteer Center website. That pianist I heard so many years ago would have no idea of this outcome/impact of his volunteer work.
Volunteer work is usually evaluated according to “replacement rate” figures based on hourly wages. But when I think of this experience, or many of the other volunteer activities URVC supports, I can’t help but think of the ripple effects of one hour of service: the unquantifiable impacts of people giving their time and talents for something or someone beyond themselves.
The data on hours contributed and people served are the notes on the page; the music is in the human spirit behind and beyond them.
—Jerry Rinehart, URVC Leadership Council chair
URVC would like to hear your stories of volunteer impacts that are “real” but hard to quantify. Please email Jerry Rinehart to learn more.
News
Declining government funding, inflation, loss of purchasing power, low birthrates, and lack of trust in the nation’s institutions have combined to create a confidence crisis in higher education not seen for decades. Minnesota is no exception.
Since its inception 40 years ago, the University Retirees Volunteer Center has focused on identifying where help is needed within the University community and has provided opportunities for thousands of retirees to use their skills, experience, and interests to help address those needs.
Meet UMRA member Nancy Carpenter. She grew up in the American heartland; nevertheless, she was surprised by the frigid, snow-covered landscape when she visited Minnesota for the first tine to interview for a job teaching chemistry at UMN Morris.
UMRA’s Professional Development Grants for Retirees are intended to support projects related to University of Minnesota retirees' research, instructional or work history, or new scholarly interests that contribute to the academic reputation of the University.
After working decades in communications for the U’s Center for Transportation Studies, Pam Snople perks up whenever she sees transportation news. It’s usually the salacious stuff that makes the headlines. But, behind the scenes, vehicle automation research keeps rolling along — including key work by UMN researchers.
Renée Good was killed in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026, during Operation Metro Surge. One month later, a community memorial to mourn her death and celebrate her life was held. Susan Ranney attended the ceremony and wrote an evocative essay on the service, which was published recently in UMRA’s Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays.
Professor Emeritus Alan Kagan has played many roles in his nearly 30 years of service with the University Retirees Volunteer Center. From assisting with phone calls to becoming office manager and eventually serving on and chairing the Volunteer Center’s board, Kagan helped build the organization into the robust operation it is today.
We’re already getting organized to identify and recruit members to step into leadership roles in 2027. As a well-informed and engaged UMRA member, you are invited to play a role in the process.
I’ve been an UMRA member for more than a decade and each year I’m impressed anew by the energy and dedication of the volunteers who do the work of the organization. I invite you to join in their efforts. But if that’s not possible, there’s something else you can do to help support UMRA: Renew your membership.
You don’t have to go far, and you don’t have to drink coffee. It’s the conversation that matters. It’s a new, experimental effort being organized by the wizards of UMRA; a meet-up of members who live in the same zip code.
Beginning January 1, 2027, the University of Minnesota is making updates to medical plans, the pharmacy vendor, and the Wellbeing Program incentive that apply to retirees and dependents enrolled in these plans.
The University of Minnesota has had a presence at the Great Minnesota Get-Together for 167 years. And on September 3, 2026, UMRA made its Minnesota State Fair debut to talk with fairgoers (on Seniors Day) about retirement and to promote opportunities to volunteer through our University Retirees Volunteer Center.
Like all of us, UMRA member Barbara Heinemann has been reflecting on 9/11 and life in the 25 years since then, with mixed feelings.
December 31 is the application deadline for UMRA’s 2027 Professional Development Grants for Retirees competition. Retirees from all five University of Minnesota campuses are eligible to apply. We invited Brad Hokanson, professor emeritus, UMN Department of Design Innovation, to tell us about the work supported by his 2026 grant to promote teaching creativity in high schools.
Meet UMRA member and volunteer extraordinaire Kay Louis. She devoted her career as an Extension educator — “bringing the University to the people” — to developing and providing programming for adults and youth.
The UMRA membership year runs from July 1 through June 30 of the following year. If you haven’t yet renewed your membership for 2027, it’s definitely time to do so!
UMRA has a Facebook group that is open to UMN retirees and others with close ties to the University, for posting messages about anything University- or retiree-related. Learn more.
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: