A reminder to all BMUST members, The Bellmore-Merrick United Secondary Teachers’ Benevolent Fund is a death benefit that is free to all in service members of BMUST.  In the event of a member’s death, a payment of $2500 is made to a designated beneficiary.
If you have not filled out a Designation of Beneficiary form, or if you need to update the form currently on file, please do so now and return it to the union office as soon as possible. The form is available on the BMUST website (www.bmust.org), under Member Services - Designation of Beneficiary.
 
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call the union office at ext. 1068.

Hello BMUST colleagues,

I hope this email finds you well. I am sharing this with the hope to help support one of our Grand Avenue colleagues whose family is going through a particularly difficult time. Sean Doherty's daughter, Charlotte, has been diagnosed with a rare childhood kidney cancer. Charlotte is a sweet 5-year-old who is now facing chemotherapy and other treatments as she fights this disease. A GoFundMe has been set up to help their family with medical and other costs as they navigate these difficult days ahead. Any donations are greatly appreciated. 

Thank you,
Carolyn Condenzio

https://gofund.me/6bf6cbb1


--
Rob Walsh
President

​Dear Members,


It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Joe Corea on May 31, 2021. Joe was a retired Math teacher from Calhoun, who taught from 1966-2004 and part time at MAP from 2010-2014. He additionally was the football and baseball coach from Calhoun for many years. In 2015, Calhoun dedicated their baseball field to him.

At this time, this is the information we have:

The wake will be held Friday, June 4th, at the Massapequa Funeral Home, North Chapel, located at 1050 Park Boulevard, Massapequa Park, NY from 2-4 PM and 7-9 PM. The phone number is 516-798-2500.

A Funeral Mass will be held Saturday, June 5th, at St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church, 2 Bayview Avenue, Massapequa at 9:15 AM. The phone number is 516-798-4992.

Thank you to Sharon Wisla, Bellmore-Merrick Retired Teachers Association President, for sharing the above information with us.

Please keep our Calhoun colleagues in your thoughts.

Dear Colleagues,
 
Please read the attached document if you know of anyone who lost a loved one due to COVID-19.  FEMA is providing financial assistance to individuals who incurred funeral expenses as a result of someone passing away as due to COVID-19.  The document will direct you to the FEMA website to see if you qualify and to complete the necessary paperwork.
 
Thanks,
 
Pete Brideson
BMUST 1st Vice President

My Dear Union Brothers and Sisters,

I hope this note finds you and your families well.  I am writing to ask that we wear our BMUST t-shirts on Tuesday, May 18th.  May 18th is an important day for two reasons. The most obvious is that it is the day that school districts across Long Island hold their school budget vote and have their Board of Education elections. It is vital that we support our home school districts in the same way that we hope that the residents of the BMCHSD support the work that we do everyday.  Equally important is that we help elect pro-education candidates to our local Board of Educations.  

The second, and perhaps not so obvious reason, is that May 18th is the date of the second rally being held by the Hempstead Classroom Teachers Association (HCTA) to express their frustrations over not having had a contract since 2010. Here is a link to a video recorded by the Long Island Presidents Council at this past Tuesday's rally.  Even if you can not make it on the 18th to support the HCTA (the rally begins at 3:30 and will be held at 185 Peninsula Boulevard in Hempstead), let the wearing of our BMUST shirts be a reminder to us of our good fortune as we enter the final year of our current contract and prepare for negotiations over the next contract. 


Please continue to take good care of yourselves and of one another.

In Solidarity,
Rob

Dear Colleagues,

I hope this note finds you and your families well. NYSUT Members Benefit is presenting a couple of webinars/workshops that might be of interest to you. The first is a one-hour identity theft webinar presented by Cambridge Credit Counseling, a NYSUT Member Benefits endorsed program provider.  The second is a workshop focusing on your personal well-being.
In Solidarity,
Rob

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, NYSUT Member Benefits hosted a workshop on Everyday Resiliency yesterday and the feedback was great!  This session focuses on ways to prioritize your own well-being during times of stress. Another session of this workshop is scheduled for May 18 at 4:00 p.m. To register click the following link:


Everyday Resilience Series (nysut.org)


Also, as the initial four Member Benefits webinars on Identity Theft presented in April were so popular, four additional ID Theft Webinars have been scheduled on May 19 at 4 p.m., May 20 at 4 p.m., May 26 at 4 p.m., and June 2 at 4 p.m.
 
Presented by Member Benefits-endorsed program provider Cambridge Credit Counseling, these one-hour webinars will offer details on what NYSUT members can do to avoid, detect and resolve identity theft. Click the following link to register for a particular webinar and for more information:

https://memberbenefits.nysut.org/about/id-theft-webinars
Matt Jacobs, Regional Staff Director
New York State United Teachers
1000 Woodbury Road -Suite 214
Woodbury, NY 11797
Office: (516) 496-2035
Mobile: (516) 319-7065
Matthew.Jacobs@nysut.org