10/29 Weekly Email

Hi all, 

I have a few new updates and resources this week. Please read through the first half of this email - while you may not need some of the things I mention, they may be useful for friends and family. 

NeuroDiversity Awareness: October has a lot of annual celebrations and commemorations, some of which are specific to neurodiversity - this month contains ADHD Awareness Month, Dyspraxia Awareness Month, Sensory Process Awareness Month, Learning Disabilities Month, World Dyslexia Awareness Month, ADHD Awareness Month, World Mental Health Day (October 10th), and Autism Awareness Day (October 29th). Given that so many annual occurrences occur this month, I wanted to do a brief (well, brief for me…), writeup on neurodiversity to explain some terms and give people some tools for recognizing and working with neurodiverse peers or the public. See the attached document if you’re interested - this is also available on our resources page. 

Employee Development Survey: I’ve been working with Employee Development to identify some barriers employees face when trying to attend their classes. We have a little data but could use more to help us make fewer assumptions about employee behavior. We’re both very interested in ensuring that all employees, regardless of workgroup, work location, or work schedule, have access to at least 10 hours of professional development training each year if they want to take advantage of it. I’ve attached an anonymous survey that members can fill out - it should only take about 5 minutes and the information we get will be used to improve training access. 

Halloween Reminders: Tomorrow is Halloween and I assume many members with children will be trick or treating. I’d like to remind people again that Halloween is a dangerous holiday for pedestrians, especially children - please be extra careful and wear reflective clothing when you and your loved ones are out and about. The same applies for members who plan to attend holiday parties over the weekend - not everyone on the road will be sober, so please be vigilant. 

Food Bank Resources: Unless the federal government reaches a deal in the next few days, SNAP food assistance benefits will be cut off for about 850k Arizonans starting November 1st. This will have immediate impacts on about 15% of Arizonans (1 in 10 AZ adults and 1 in 4 AZ children) - I assume that may include some of our members, your friends, or your families. Loss of food benefits also means that people may have to choose between buying food or paying for rent, utilities, or holiday presents - I’ve included some links below and encourage people to reach out soon if they need help - every group is anticipating a massive rise in need in the next few weeks, which will limit who they can help. I’ve included a few financial resources below and may repeat this section in coming weeks as the situation develops. Please note that my mention of these resources is not an endorsement of any of them - UAEA is not affiliated with these organizations and cannot speak to their respective quality or offerings. 

AZ Food Bank Network: This link contains information about dozens of food banks and assistance sites across Arizona. You can search by the directory and the zipcodes they provide services for to find food banks in your areas. 

AZ Medical and Nutrition Assistance: This is an Arizona-State run program that can help connect people with Arizona State programs that provide assistance for people who need medical coverage or access. I do not know at that the program entails. 

Maricopa County Utility Support: This is a Maricopa County program that can help people receive assistance paying for utilities. Some cities have unique offerings while others are covered under one umbrella program. 

AZ 211: This is a Arizona-State run help line that can help people connect with a variety of resources and support they may be unaware of in their area. 

Salvation Army Christmas Assistance: This link allows people to sign up if they need help providing Christmas presents for their children. 

Tempe Employee Relief Fund: This is a Tempe-run program (paid for by employee donations) that can provide support of up to $1,200 to assist Tempe employees with unplanned emergency bills (housing, mortgage, utilities, etc). 

One last thing to consider - please don’t feel embarrassed or hesitant to use any of these services. I’ve talked to some members in tough economic situations before and some felt hesitant to use the resources I mentioned. I want to be very clear - each of these programs was created to assist people in need and help people through difficult times. Life can cause unexpected financial problems for every person regardless of your income or abilities - utilizing these resources is not a judgment on you or your character. If you’re a member of this group you clearly see the value in obtaining support from your peers in the workplace - don’t hesitate to try and obtain support from your peers in the community as well. 

Membership Director Bio: I have asked board members to continue to provide bios in these weekly emails so everyone in our organization knows them. This week we have a bio from our Membership Director, Jeremy Hopf. 

Hi everyone! I’m Jeremy Hopf, your Membership Director. I started with the City of Tempe in 2007—just two weeks before the grand opening of the Tempe Center for the Arts (TCA).  After leaving in 2011, I returned in 2015 to my original role, now called Theatre Production Specialist.

At TCA, I handle a variety of tasks from maintaining, operating, and repairing equipment to providing customer service, technical support, risk management, and stepping in wherever I’m needed.

After returning to the city, I joined UAEA and when the opportunity arose, I began advocating for others as a Citywide Representative, which deepened my appreciation for the people who make our city work. Now, as Membership Director, I’m excited to build community through fun social events, new member benefits, and stronger connections.

Have ideas or suggestions for events, giveaways, or new ways to reach our members?  Send them to Membership@UAEATempe.com.  I’d love to hear from you!

Thanks for the bio, Jeremy!

November Meeting RSVP:  Our final member’s meeting of 2025 will be held on November 20th at the Apache PD substation from 5-6pm. Please rsvp here by November 13th at 5pm. 

Employee of the Quarter: Our next round of Employee of the Quarter closes on December 1st (finalists will be announced in our January newsletter). If you would like to be considered (or would like to nominate a peer), please fill out the application (it takes 5 minutes) before the end of day on December 1st. The UAEA Board had a nice selection of candidates to choose from for Q4 - we’d love to see even more nominations to start off 2026. If you would like a refresher on program rules, check out this blog post. 

UAEA Holiday Party: This is a Save the Date for the UAEA annual holiday party. We will be at Spokes on Southern from 430pm to 7pm on Thursday, December 4th. Rsvps will open the first week of November. Please note that this is the first year we will be allowing plus ones - you can bring a friend, partner, or family member as long as they are above 21 (Spokes has restricted entry for underage individuals). 

Adopt a Path: UAEA will be cleaning up our Adopt-a-Path trail on Saturday, November 8th, We meet in the Tempe Parking Lot on the southeast Corner of Curry and Miller (approximate address is 1325 E Curry Road, Tempe AZ 85281, see attached photo), then walk north up our path to Mckellips Rd. Breakfast, drinks, safety gloves, trash pickers, and trash bags will be provided. Please bring a hat and/or sunglasses. This event normally takes 1.5 hours to complete, is eligible for community wellness points (I’ll also sign children and teen’s volunteer forms if you need volunteer hours), and is a great opportunity to meet members of the board and your fellow union members. If you’d like to attend, please sign up here by Thursday, November 6th, at 5pm. 

Prenuvo Screenings: Tempe is now offering free Head and Torso MRI screenings for all employees over 40 who are on the Tempe medical plan. This service can detect early stages of cancer, Alzheimer's, and even aneurysms. Click here for more information. 

Employees can schedule an appointment online or over the phone. Please note that results are NOT shared with Tempe - they will only be shared with you or any doctor of your choice. Other considerations - you do not need to pay anything for this service if you are covered by the city’s insurance - if you accidentally click the wrong link on the company's website and see that payment is due, please double check you are on the Tempe-specific page. Please also note that either you or a dependent on your insurance can use this service once per year - if you and a spouse both want to get the service only one of you would be covered but they can take advantage of a discounted rate.