- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
“The purpose is to celebrate inclusion and affirmation, as well as to learn about differences and U.S. history related to LGBTQ+ communities,” said Katherine Soule, who is organizing the events.
The films will be shared via Zoom for participants to watch, followed by a group discussion about each film, much like book club participants exchange their thoughts about books.
“I am proud to be a part of the UC system, where I can support meaningful work and live my life authentically,” Soule said. “I am humbled to be able to support others to have the same in their own lives.”
Bring your own beverage and join us for movies at 6 p.m. Wednesdays in June. The length of each session will vary with the length of the film. Register for the ANR Pride Film Fest at http://ucanr.edu/pride2020 to get the Zoom link.
The schedule of four documentaries selected by Soule is as follows:
June 3: State of Pride (2019) 70 min. – Fifty years after the Stonewall uprising, Oscar-winning filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman and host Raymond Braun travel to three diverse communities - Salt Lake City, San Francisco and Tuscaloosa, Alabama - for an unflinching look at LGBTQ Pride, from the perspective of a younger generation for whom it still has personal urgency.
June 10: The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson (2017) 1 hour, 45 min. – Who killed Marsha P. Johnson? When the beloved, self-described "street queen" of NY's gay ghetto was found floating in the Hudson River in 1992, the NYPD chalked it up as a suicide and refused to investigate. However, as shown in Academy Award (R) nominated director and journalist David France's (How to Survive A Plague) new film, it's a decision many questioned. Having played a pivotal role in the previous year's Stonewall Riots, in 1970, Johnson and fellow trans icon Sylvia Rivera formed the world's first trans-rights organization, STAR (Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries).
June 17: Kiki (2017) 1 hour, 34 min. – If anyone wondered where Madonna heard about "voguing," the documentary "Paris is Burning" was the answer. "Kiki" is another deep dive into the same scene. It's an intimate look at a marginalized community, many of whom rely on the various neighborhood clubs for support systems that don't exist anywhere else. The so-called "Kiki" scene is not just about the various competitive dance club contests. The scene provides a social structure, a "net" for kids who have nowhere else to go.
June 24: Three of Hearts: A postmodern family (2005) 97 min. – Steven, Samantha and Sam together form an amorous threesome, a "mariage-a-trois" of sorts. Their journey takes them from the more humorous and sensational aspects of such a relationship to moments that truly show the depth of their love and commitment to each other.
The UC Board of Regents voted on May 21, 2020, to implement provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) to make it easier for participants to access funds from their retirement savings plans. These optional provisions required approval from the Regents, who are responsible for overseeing the UC Retirement Savings Program (which includes the Defined Contribution Plan, Tax-Deferred 403(b) Plan, and 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan).
If you or a dependent are diagnosed with the virus SARS-Co-V-2 or with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), or you experience adverse financial consequences as a result of the virus or disease, the CARES Act is designed to help by extending access to loans and withdrawals from employer-sponsored retirement savings plans like UC's.
Withdrawals from the UC 403(b), 457(b) and DC Plan
- The CARES Act allows you to withdraw 100% of your own vested balances up to $100,000 (whichever is less) from your UC 403(b), 457(b) plan, or DC Plan account.
- You won't owe the customary early withdrawal penalty when you withdraw under the CARES Act provision.
- You are still subject to federal income tax on your withdrawal, but it can be spread out evenly over three years. Check with your state tax board for more information about how this applies to your state income taxes.
- You may also repay all or part of your CARES Act withdrawal within three years and, if you do, your repayment won't be subject to federal income tax or to the annual IRS contribution limit. That means it won't affect the amount you would normally contribute to your UC plan.
- CARES Act withdrawals are available until Dec. 30, 2020.
- The CARES Act increases the maximum amount you can borrow from your UC 403(b) Plan. This increase is available until Sept. 23, 2020 (180 days since the CARES Act was enacted). Currently, you can borrow up to 50% of your total UC Retirement Savings Program account balance up to $50,000. Under the CARES Act, you can borrow up to 100% of your vested 403(b) plan balance up to $100,000, whichever is less. Note: If you've taken a loan in the past 12 months, the amount you can borrow will be reduced by the highest outstanding loan balance.
- If you are currently repaying a UC 403(b) Plan loan or request a CARES Act loan, you can delay your repayments until Dec. 31, 2020.
403(b) Plan Loans
What qualifies as a financial consequence?
To qualify for a CARES Act withdrawal, loan, or to delay a loan repayment, you must self-certify that you face at least one of the following financial consequences:
- You, your spouse, or your dependents have been diagnosed with SARS-Co-V-2 or COVID-19 by an approved test from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- You have experienced a financial hardship as a result of quarantine, furlough, layoff, or reduced work hours.
- You are unable to work due to issues accessing childcare.
- A business that you own or operate has been closed or its hours have been reduced.
- You meet other criteria determined by the U.S. Treasury Secretary.
Important considerations
Weigh the consequences on your future financial security before you tap into your UC retirement savings accounts, especially in volatile markets. If you have access to other means of funding, such as home equity, a family member, or other viable sources of short-term cash, consider these options as well.
Call Fidelity at 1-866-682-7787 to request a withdrawal or loan, or to delay your current loan repayments.
For more information
- To understand UC 403(b) Plan loans, read How 403(b) Plan Loans Work.
- To learn more about the CARES Act or find updates on its provisions, visit irs.gov.
- If you have questions about the CARES Act or need guidance on accessing your retirement funds through these provisions, call a UC-dedicated Fidelity Retirement Planner at (800) 558-9182.
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
UC Cooperative Extension nutrition, family and consumer sciences advisor Deepa Srivastava asks for her colleagues' help in a virtual project that she initiated to understand family food resiliency during the COVID-19 pandemic. For this project, she asks primary caregivers of young children to answer a single open-ended question. Responses will help Srivastava understand how families with young children are navigating the food-related situation in their everyday lives.
"More specifically, the responses will help us understand the various strategies primary caregivers are using to ensure that food is available, accessible, purchased, prepared and consumed in their households," she said.
Srivastava is reaching out to local community partners in Tulare and Kings counties, but she would appreciate broader participation. UC ANR staff and academics with young children are encouraged to respond, as well as their contacts and clientele.
Feel free to share the flyer image below or a pdf version at the end of this article.
The open-ended question is:
"During COVID-19, what changes do you have to make in your household food availability, food accessibility, food purchasing, food preparation and food consumption?"
Responses may be emailed to dsr@ucdavis.edu.
Family Food Resiliency Project (PDF)
- Author: Kaela Plank
This May, UC ANR staff and faculty opted outside for a Virtual UC Walks 2020. More than 100 ANR staff and academics chose to walk together while apart for a total of 90 hours! Several participants chose to submit photos of their walks to the photo contest competition hosted by the UCANR Staff Assembly Wellness Committee.
Best Nature photo winner Ana Medina, awed us with her lovely twilight panoramic of the Bay Area.
Best Fashion photo winner, Emily Melton Casado, made us smile with family's coordinated UC Walks attire.
Last but certainly not least, Best Urban photo winner Sarah Angulo impressed us with the creativity her walking team brought to the event by turning their walk into a Zoom meeting.
In addition to a photo contest, the UC Staff Assembly Wellness Committee raffled off two Fitbits. Congratulations to Ben DiAnna for winning the participation survey raffle and to Russ Hill for winning the social media post raffle.
See more UC Walks photos on the Staff Assembly website.
To see photos selected for 'honorable mention,' visit the UC ANR Staff Assembly Wellness Committee website.
The UC ANR Staff Assembly Council wants to send out a huge thank you to everyone who participated in this year's event. Your participation highlighted how, even in these unusual times, UC ANR stands together. Here's to a UC Walks 2021 that is not just virtual. In the meantime, we hope this event inspires everyone to get outside and take a stroll.
Be well,
The UC ANR Staff Assembly Council
- Author: Rose Hayden-Smith, PhD
Nearly two tons of fruit and vegetables grown at UC's Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center (HAREC) in Santa Paula have been donated to Food Forward and the Ventura Unified School District, destined for children and families.
Some of the vegetables – planted by volunteers and farm staff – became available when UC HAREC's farm field trips were canceled due to COVID-19. Other vegetables were harvested from the student farm located at HAREC, a partnership with Ventura Unified School District and the city of Ventura. Kale and lettuce at the student farm were planted by youth from DATA and Montalvo schools.
Every fall and spring, volunteers from the UC Master Gardener program propagate seedlings for schools, bundling them into variety packs of vegetables and herbs, which are given to schools with gardens. Because of COVID-19, plants were given to schools for direct distribution to families. Ventura Unified School District staff partnering in this effort include Kara Muniz, director of food and nutrition services; Ashley Parrish Decker, nutrition educator who runs the Student Farm; and Alise Echles, registered dietitian nutritionist.
Additional fruit and vegetables were harvested from HAREC's citrus demonstration area, the site's educational gardens and the farm grounds.
UCCE's education program manager Susana Bruzzone-Miller said, “We are saddened that spring field trip season is canceled and miss the sound of children delighting in harvesting, sometimes for the very first time. But, it warms my heart that our field trip garden can help feed so many families in need.”
John Antongiovanni, farm manager, worked with the farm staff to organize the harvest. “Working together during this difficult time is very rewarding,” he said.
Food Forward is a gleaning organization that helps residents turn the surplus produce grown on their property into a nutritious food source for local communities. Rick Nahmias, founder and executive director, indicated that the Food Forward Backyard Harvest team remains active, and may be reached via phone at (805) 630.2728 or email.
