TUARA Focus Group to Meet This Month
The TUARA Executive Board has created an ad hoc committee to explore the mission of TUARA. The committee, which is chaired by Executive Board Member-at-Large Greg Singleton, will be convening a focus group later this month for a small number of recent retirees. Topics will include their thoughts on TUARA, benefits of TUARA membership, and preferred methods of communication. A report from the committee will be forthcoming in the spring.
ACT Card and Bama Cash
The University of Alabama has officially converted to using a mobile version of the ACT Card as the primary ID. It’s easy to add your ACT Card to your phone. And as a retiree, you can continue to load and use Bama Cash on your ACT Card at many locations around Tuscaloosa. You probably know that there are dozens of restaurants that accept payment via Bama Cash, but did you know that you can also shop at area grocery stores, gas stations, beauty and nail salons, and even Pet Supplies Plus? See the helpful web pages listed below.
- How to load the ACT Card on your cell phone: https://actcard.ua.edu/mobileactioncard/
- How to add money to your Bama Cash account: https://actcard.ua.edu/bama-cash-page/
- List of Bama Cash locations: https://actcard.ua.edu/locations/
[CORRECTION: Unfortunately, we have learned that you must be a student or active employee to load your ACT Card onto your phone. Please disregard that part of our news story. You may still use your physical ACT Card as described. Our apologies for the misinformation! – TUARA Update Editor]
Connect with TUARA
Follow TUARA on Facebook at facebook.com/tuara.ua.
Volunteer Hours
Whether you volunteer weekly or just occasionally, please report your volunteer hours to TUARA. We share reported hours with AERA. AERA, in turn, uses retirees’ volunteer hours statewide to demonstrate the value that retirees bring to Alabama’s economy and quality of life. It’s easy! Just email your hours, broken down by the categories in the chart below, to tuara.ua@gmail.com. Please report any previously unreported hours from January 1, 2023 through the present.
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. You may include hours spent on TUARA activities, except for attending board meetings.
| 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 |
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 is only $25! Visit www.tuara.ua.edu for more information.