Volunteer at Tuscaloosa Toyota Classic
Here’s a great opportunity to represent our community as Tuscaloosa hosts professional women golfers from around the world at the 2022 Tuscaloosa Toyota Classic: Some 120 professional women’s golfers who play on the Epsom Tour will play in the tournament at Ol’ Colony Golf Course. The tournament, along with two pro-ams, will take place the week of Sept. 26 – Oct. 2, with the three-round professional tournament taking place Friday, Sept. 30 through Sunday, Oct. 2. Whether you are a golfer or not, there are many volunteer positions available — from scoring to social events to whatever. And opportunities that involve sitting, standing or walking. Visit VOLUNTEER | Tuscaloosa Toyota Classic and submit the volunteer form today! Questions? Please contact TUARA executive board members Marie Robbins, marobbins08@gmail.com, or Kevin Almond, kalmond6@gmail.com.
Watch AERA District 10 Annual Meeting Online
Missed the Alabama Education Retirees Association District 10 annual meeting on Aug. 16 or want to watch it again? Click the link below and use the passcode provided to watch the webinar:
Alabama Education Retirees Association District 10 Webinar
Passcode: Q26esJ&f
The program includes valuable information about PEEHIP and United Healthcare as well as updates on AERA activities and tips to avoid scams.
Meetings to Provide Information about PEEHIP United Healthcare Plan
PEEHIP is offering meetings around the state to introduce the new PEEHIP United Healthcare Group Medicare Advantage (PPO) plan that will provide health care and prescription drug coverage for all Medicare-eligible retirees and eligible dependents starting on Jan. 1, 2023. Presentations will be offered at the Hotel Capstone in Tuscaloosa on Sept. 21 from 9-11 a.m. and from 1-3 p.m. For information on additional in-person and virtual meetings, visit https://retiree.uhc.com/content/dam/retiree/pdf/peehip/2023/PEEHIP_meeting_schedule.pdf.
TUARA Awards Witt Scholarships for Fall 2022
TUARA has awarded the Robert E. Witt First-Generation Scholarships for the fall semester to UA sophomores Diamond Townsend and Taylor White. TUARA awards two $500 scholarships each semester. Each recipient must be a sophomore enrolled full-time at UA, a resident of Alabama, have a minimum GPA of 3.0, be the first member of their family to attend college and have demonstrated financial need. The scholarships are funded by TUARA members’ donations and dues. To contribute to the fund, please make your check payable to The University of Alabama with “Robert E. Witt Scholarship” in the memo line. Mail your donation to TUARA, Box 861493, Tuscaloosa, AL 35486-0013. You will receive a tax-deductible statement from the University.
Welcome New Member
We welcome Trudier Harris, whose name was inadvertently left off the list of new members in the TUARA Newsletter this summer. Her name has been added to the online version, available by clicking here.
AERA Membership Drive
All TUARA members are encouraged to join the Alabama Education Retirees Association (AERA). AERA is our voice in Montgomery, thanks to their strong legislative program geared to protecting retirees’ TRS funding and PEEHIP benefits. AERA was instrumental in the Alabama Legislature passing the Education Retiree Bonus Check bill this spring. While TUARA is a unit of AERA, they are separate organizations. We encourage TUARA members to join AERA in addition to TUARA. For more information, contact Cynthia Peebles at 205-792-0638 or cpeeblesretired@gmail.com or visit aerainc.org.
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 Jan. 1, 2022 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 only $25