Perhaps you noticed the absence of a summer Discoveries in your mailbox. You didn’t miss anything, and we haven’t forgotten. Rather, over the last several months, we’ve been working on a special publication, called Legacies, which celebrates Hammer’s 100 years, and NER’s 50 years, of service. It’s 56 pages of stories about our histories, the people we have supported, our staff, and the communities that have stood by us all these years. You may have received a copy in the mail recently. You can also view the entire magazine online by clicking here.

If you don’t receive a copy of Legacies or don't receive Discoveries but would like to, please email Barbara.brandt@hammer.org to be added to the mailing list.  

In 2019, we wanted to find the resting place of our founder, Alvina Hammer, who died in 1965. We learned that her ashes were buried in her husband’s family plot at Elmhurst Cemetery in St. Paul. However, there was no stone marking Alvina’s grave.

Now, as we celebrate Hammer Residences’ 100th anniversary, it seemed fitting to properly mark the resting place of a truly remarkable woman.

Read more here.

Each of our Hammer & NER homes is unique because of its people. Each month we will "showcase" one of our homes (or apartment programs) and celebrate the people who live there and the staff who support them.

Click here to meet the County Road F home in White Bear Lake!

The rain held off and we had another great time at the annual Family Day Picnic, which took place this past Saturday at our West Metro Office.

There were lots of games, dancing, food, and smiles throughout the day. Click here to see a gallery of photos from the fun day!

A couple of weeks ago (September 10-16) we celebrated DSP Recognition Week.

We're so grateful for our 350+ Direct Support Professionals for the dedication and care they bring to their role each day. It's due to their efforts that we can live out our mission of helping those we support to live life to the fullest.

Watch this short video we made to honor our DSP's!

Read more about DSP Recognition Week on this blog post and in an article posted by the Sun Sailor.

We will be hosting Fall Yard Clean Up at our east and west metro homes from Saturday, October 21 through Sunday, October 29. This event occurs over national Make a Difference Day on Saturday, October 28. 

Groups rake or use a leaf blower in the yards, bag the leaves, and put them at the curb for pickup. Bags are provided. We can accommodate mornings or afternoons during the week or weekends.

This is a great event for families, organizations, churches, and students. If you know of any organizations or families that would like to participate, please reach out to Cathy Thoma, Director of Volunteer Resources, at cthoma@hammer.org or call 952-345-8554.

We have several employees celebrating significant anniversaries in September.

Jacqui Smith-Spraggins (top left, DSP, 15 years), Bertrand Ngoua (top right, DSP, 5 years), Collin Fruetel (bottom left, Lead DSP, 5 years), Rita Tri (bottom center, DSP, 5 years), and Justin Fulakollie (bottom right, Lead DSP, 3 years).

Congratulations and thank you for all that you do!

Each month in Happenings we feature some of our favorite photos of the people we support "Out & About" having fun in their communities.

The photo on the right is from a recent 'ladies night' put on by our Purple Squad. The staff and ladies at our homes in that squad plan to meet monthly to socialize, eat pizza, and get their nails done!

In August, Hammer & NER held two all-staff meetings at the Heritage Center of Brooklyn Center.

Cate Saracen Peters, Director of Workforce Development at Hammer & NER, received the note to the right from the Chief Server of the Heritage Center's wait staff.

We were so touched by this note regarding our meeting and more importantly the services our organization provides.

To enlarge the photo of the note to the right, simply click on the picture or click here.

Cooks in the Kitchen is a volunteer opportunity to lend a helping hand!

Do you have a small team of friends, family, or coworkers who like to cook and are interested in a fun, quick, and easy volunteer opportunity? Watch the short video below to learn more about Cooks in the Kitchen.

Hammer & NER have been in the news quite a bit lately!

We were featured over the last few weeks on WCCO radio, the Sun Sailor, and the Sheletta Show Podcast.

Click here to visit the "In the News" section of our website where you'll find those stories and many more.

You'll also find some great stories on the blog on our website including The Story of Ralph and a feature on Alvina Hammer & Evelyn Carlson.

This year our Program department has been focused on the SHINE initiative:

S – Supporting individuals

H – Honor and dignity

I – Invest in your career

N – Navigating change

E – Experiencing life

In September, our program staff focused on the letter “E”- Experiencing life. Our Chief Program Officer, Sue Walker, explains that it means being engaged in our relationships with each other and providing opportunities for daily activity engagement. 

There is the Community Life monthly calendar, a new activity offering for the East metro homes, the Family Day Picnic for everyone, and SHINE shout-out cards we use for complementing our team members on the ways we support each other. 

Learn about how a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) can benefit IRA owners age 70 ½ years and older. You can give any amount, up to a maximum of $100,00 per year, from your IRA directly to support the mission of Hammer & NER without having to pay income taxes on the money.

For more information, click here.