Happy Holidays!
TUARA wishes all our members and friends a joyous holiday season! We are looking forward to an exciting and productive year in 2022.
Please take a moment to read below and learn about volunteering for Reading Allies, respond to the What I Know Now survey, look ahead to the 2022 legislative session and report your volunteer hours to TUARA.
Volunteer Opportunity: Reading Allies
Over half of Alabama’s third graders are not reading on grade level by the end of their third-grade year, leading to years of potential educational, economic, and social hardship. Reading Allies, a University of Alabama System initiative, is working collaboratively to ensure the promise of a positive future for all of Alabama’s students through a focus on elementary literacy. TUARA is a Reading Allies community partner. TUARA members are invited to serve as volunteer tutors, working one-on-one with striving readers through an individualized curriculum. No matter if you are 18 or 80, Reading Allies makes volunteering simple and training is provided. If you are interested in volunteering with Reading Allies or simply want more information, contact TUARA volunteer coordinator Carolyn Dahl at carolyn.dahl@ua.edu.
What I Know Now Survey
Last week, you received a survey for TUARA’s new What I Know Now project. Recognizing that UA retirees are in that stage of life where they may be providing care for a parent, a spouse or another loved one, the What I Know Now project seeks to address a critical gap that exists in resources for caregivers. By drawing on the caregiving experiences of UA retirees, we will create a larger base of potential support that allows for more personal and confidential interactions regarding specific challenges. The project will initially focus on retirees who are providing care to a person living with dementia, Parkinson’s Disease or ALS; our hope, however, is to expand this resource to include other caregiving situations and, eventually, to other higher education retiree groups in the state, as appropriate. For more information and to access the survey, click here. All responses will be aggregated to ensure anonymity and confidentiality. Please email your responses to bkellen3333@gmail.com by Friday, December 17.
Watch for Legislative Action Beginning in January
The Alabama State Legislature’s regular session begins Jan. 11, 2022. According to media reports, Sen. Bobby Singleton will sponsor the Retired Educators’ Bonus Bill, which would provide a one-time bonus check to education retirees. Watch for more information and calls to action in support of the bill as it makes its way through the legislature this spring.
Volunteer Hours Demonstrate Retirees’ Contributions
After a break last year due to the pandemic, TUARA is once again asking all members to report their community service hours. Please use the categories listed below to report your volunteer hours for November as well as any hours from January-November 2021 that have not been reported previously. Why is this important? Each year our investment of time in our communities makes a significant contribution to Alabama. When our data is added to similar data from other education retirees around the state through AERA, we demonstrate the value that retirees bring to Alabama’s economy and quality of life. And that tremendous impact supports efforts to build support for retiree issues and benefits. Service hours should include activities in Alabama for which you have not received financial reimbursement. Hours should also not include 1) Sunday school and church attendance, 2) Caring for family members, and 3) Participation in AERA activities on state committees or the Board of Directors. Please report your hours to TUARA today!
Please report hours for each of the following categories as applicable:
| Categories | Examples | # of Service Hours |
| Arts | Children’s Hands-On Museum, theater, opera, arts | |
| Church | Church related service projects (not attendance for worship services) | |
| Civic | Organizational projects, civic and special interest | |
| Health | Bloodmobile, clinics, nursing home, nutrition, home care | |
| Education | Mentoring, literacy projects | |
| Transportation | Shopping, errands, escort services | |
| RSVP/Volunteer Programs | Shut-Ins, telephone, etc. | |
| Youth Work | Big Brothers Big Sisters, work related to youth programs | |
| TUARA | TUARA volunteer activities, administrative work, communications, etc. | |
| Other (specify) | ||
| Total Hours |
Three easy ways to respond:
- Print this page, complete, and email a scanned copy to tuara.ua@gmail.com
- Print this page, complete and mail to TUARA, Box 861493, Tuscaloosa, AL 35486
- List totals by category in the body of an email addressed to tuara.ua@gmail.com.
Renew Your Membership Today
TUARA’s membership year runs from Oct. 1-Sept. 30. If you haven’t renewed your membership for 2022 yet, please go to Membership Application at www.tuara.ua.edu, print the membership form and send it with your $25 annual membership dues to Box 861493, Tuscaloosa, AL 35486-0013. If you prefer, you can pay your dues by PayPal or credit card by clicking here. Click on “Check out as guest” to pay by credit card. Invite retired friends and colleagues to join as well!
TUARA
- Advocates for retiree benefits on campus and in Montgomery
- Promotes retirees’ volunteer service
- Awards the Robert E. Witt First-Generation Scholarship
- Provides networking and fun with colleagues and friends
- Annual membership only $25