The University’s annual United Way campaign officially kicks off next week. But faculty and staff can get a jump-start on pledging their support for the Rochester community. Learn more about the campaign and how you can take part in the “Today’s Updates” section.
Also in today’s issue:
This week’s Wellness Wednesday for students features the Basic Needs Hub and Food Pantry
University Facilities and Services’ annual eyeglasses collection and departmental competition begins next month
Since Tuesday’s notice in @Rochester, there are three new cases of COVID-19 to report: one River Campus student and employee; and one Medical Campus student. Please note that the University’s COVID-19 Dashboard is updated daily. Whenever a new case is known, the contact-tracing process begins immediately with confirmed exposures being contacted and required to quarantine.
It’s extremely important for the health of the University community that individuals continue to adhere to the face masking and social distancing protocols. Even as some individuals are now receiving their first or second dose of the vaccine, these practices to prevent the transmission of the virus cannot be relaxed.
If you think you’re experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, it’s important to report them through Dr. Chat Bot—for non–Medical Center faculty, staff, and all students and for Medical Center employees—immediately. Even if you think your symptoms might be something else—like a cold, seasonal congestion, or allergies—it’s still important to tell University health professionals and contact tracers what you’re experiencing.
Built Together. Built Strong: University launches United Way Campaign
Join the University’s United Way Campaign, which supports the greater Rochester area by providing health services, educational support, and economic mobility to the community’s most vulnerable populations. Continuous pledge payroll donors can modify their pledges online through ePledge starting today, February 24, through March 3 before the campaign officially kicks off on March 4. Those who pledge by March 5 are eligible for weekly prize drawings. Continuous pledge payroll donors are already included in the drawings. Email the United Way Office at uwco@hr.rochester.edu with questions. Campaign leaders thank the many department coordinators who will be helping during the coming weeks!
Thousands of new COVID-19 vaccine appointments opening up this week for many Rochester residents
New York State will open a new COVID-19 vaccination site next week at the former Kodak Hawkeye building (1345 St. Paul Street) and is taking appointments for eligible people in 12 specific Rochester zip codes starting today, Wednesday, February 24, at 8 a.m. Although this upcoming clinic is not affiliated with the University, this information is being shared to make all eligible University community members aware of this vaccination opportunity.
If you would like a vaccination appointment, you must:
Live in one of these zip codes: 14603, 14604, 14605, 14606, 14608, 14609, 14611, 14613, 14614, 14615, 14619, or 14621
Be 65 years of age or older and/or have a chronic medical condition that makes you eligible; you do not need a doctor’s note to prove eligibility.
If you meet the eligibility criteria, call the NY State’s COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline soon at (833) NYS-4-VAX [(833) 697-4829] or visit New York’s Am I Eligible’ website. It’s important to call soon because, after the first week, the clinic will open to all eligible people in the community. This is a special effort by state and federal officials to make sure the COVID-19 vaccine is distributed to areas that have lower vaccination rates. Local vaccination information can also be found on the Finger Lakes Vaccine Hub website.
“It’s helpful for the patient to ask, how long is this visit?” says Mathew Devine, an associate professor of family medicine and the associate medical director at Highland Family Medicine. “They know they’re supposed to arrive at 11:45, but does that mean the visit is 15 minutes or 20 or 45 minutes? Patients should be aware of that.”
Did you know that if your circumstances have you going without basic needs, such as food, clothing, housing, or access to academic resources, there’s a hub at the University that can provide support? It’s aptly named the Basic Needs Hub.
If you’re specifically concerned about where and how you will get food, there’s the Food Pantry on River Campus. This is a need-blind resource. You don’t have to provide any financial information to qualify. However, resources are limited, so the Food Pantry wants to be sure supplies are going to those most in need of support. A new pickup location at Goler House has just been added.
Both of these resources are available for all students. Check in next Wednesday for more tips and resources that will help you stay focused, healthy, and connected.
#CovURup social media competition submissions due March 5
Would you like to be rewarded for wearing your mask? The UHS Health Promotion Office needs your help to show how easy it can be to stay safe and have fun at the same time. Take and submit a picture or TikTok of you and your friends wearing your masks and briefly write about what you and your friends were doing and how much fun you had, and you could win a self-care kit. Send submissions to rblock@uhs.rochester.edu by March 5 at noon EST; all undergraduate students in Arts, Sciences & Engineering and at the Eastman School are welcome to submit. There is only one winner.
Spaces available in the Study Zone for in-person and virtual study support
Located within the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, the Study Zone offers a quiet study location and accountability to meet your studying goals. Students commit to spending at least three hours a week in the Study Zone and benefit from peer support in planning effective study sessions. Those three hours can include in-person socially-distanced hours in the physical space or remote hours in the Virtual Study Zone Zoom room. The Study Zone is now open with regular hours of 2 to 9 p.m. EST Sunday through Thursday and 2 to 7 p.m. EST on Friday. The program serves students in Arts, Sciences & Engineering, the School of Medicine and Dentistry, Simon Business School, and Warner School of Education. You can enroll here.
Paying less for your medication may lower your blood pressure right off the bat. To receive this discount for the whole calendar year, enroll now in the Well-Ucoaching program for blood pressure. Participants in an asthma, coronary artery disease, or diabetes program can also benefit from these savings. All Well-U coaching programs are regularly available to eligible employees all year long, and virtual to make it easy on your schedule. You can also keep more money in your pocket by filling all of your prescriptions at the University’s employee pharmacy.
Martin Luther King Jr. grand rounds lecture
Erika Lee, the Rudolph J. Vecoli Chair and director of the Immigration History Research Center at the University of Minnesota, will present “Xenophobia in Our Nation of Immigrants” on Wednesday, March 31, at noon EST. Lee is also the author of America for Americans: A History of Xenophobia in the United States.
Lecture on intersections between the civil rights movement, the faith community, and mental health
Join a conversation on the intersection between the civil rights movement, the faith community, and mental health, and start a discussion of the Black church in past and present justice movements. The aim of this event is to provide a space for psychological safety in the midst of ongoing racial injustice. The lecture takes place Friday, February 26, at noon EST. Learn more and register here.
Go Green: December book drive results and upcoming eyeglasses collection
The annual eyeglasses collection and departmental competition will be held in March and is an opportunity for University departments to earn bragging rights while helping others receive eye care. Departments are encouraged to compete to collect the most eyeglasses and see who creates the most “eye-catching” collection box. To donate, place glasses in any box or envelope and send them by mail or through the University’s intramural mail program to:
University Mail Services
Box 270001
Rochester, NY 14627-0001
You can also find out about December’s successful book drive, which collected a total of 310 books to help replenish Rochester’s Little Free Library program.
Laugh along with impressions expert Melissa Villaseñor
Join Melissa Villaseñor for a live Q&A today, Wednesday, February 24, at 9 p.m. EST. Villaseñor broke barriers by becoming the first Latina cast member of Saturday Night Live. As a comedic impressions expert, she got her start as a semifinalist on America’s Got Talent, and has voiced characters for Toy Story 4 and Wreck It Ralph 2. This is part of a virtual tour series featuring a different performer each Wednesday. Register online for access to this exclusive virtual show.
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