Save the Date: Spring Luncheon and Business Meeting
TUARA’s annual spring luncheon and business meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 24, at 11 am at Hotel Capstone. A printed invitation should appear in members’ mailboxes soon. Please RSVP to specialevents@ua.edu or 205-348-9237. Donations to Books for the Black Belt (new or gently used K-12 books or cash) will be collected at the luncheon.
Free Car Wash!
A free car wash for all UA retirees will be held at the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house, 202 University Blvd., on April 19, from 1 pm to 4 pm. There is no charge for the car wash, but donations to Books for the Black Belt (books or cash) will be collected at the event.
Special Presentation on Legal Matters Affecting Older Adults
Taylor Goodall, staff attorney with the Tuscaloosa office of Legal Services Alabama, will join us on Wednesday, May 22, at 10 am at the Bonner Child Development Center to speak on legal issues particularly pertinent to older adults, e.g., wills, health directives, etc.
Report on March 27 Presentation by Dr. Nicole Ruggiano
Dr. Nicole Ruggiano, Professor and Associate Dean for Research in The University of Alabama’s School of Social Work, delivered her presentation on “Talking Tech: Supports and Resources for People with Dementia and their Care Partners” for TUARA members on March 27. For more information on Dr. Ruggiano’s work, see her Caregiver Connect website at https://caregiverconnect.ua.edu and watch the YouTube video of her TEDx talk entitled “Getting Old Should Not Mean Losing Control,” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu2EdU86SMM. In addition, slides from Dr. Ruggiano’s TUARA presentation are attached. [View at https://bit.ly/RuggianoPresentation.]
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, 2024 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.