It was a birthday party Sandy will never forget!

Family and friends threw Sandy (in the black shirt next to "Elvis") a surprise birthday party at our East Central Office. The guest of honor was definitely surprised...not only to see so many of her friends and family there...but also Elvis!

Sandy is a huge Elvis fan and was delighted as an Elvis impersonator entertained the crowd for almost an hour.

Sandy is in the photo to the right along with her housemates from our County Rd. F home.

Look for video from this fun time soon! You can find more pictures from the big day in our "Out & About" section below.

We hope you'll join us tomorrow (March 28) for Disability Services Day at the Capitol.

If you're unable to be there in person, you can watch the rally as it happens. It will be live-streamed at this link on YouTube. The rally begins at 10 a.m. tomorrow, March 28.

For more information and schedules for the event visit this site.

We've been fortunate to receive some media coverage over the last few days about our advocacy efforts. Click here to listen to an interview our Advocacy Director Mary Gaasch did on The Sheletta Show on WCCO Radio. Click here to read an article written in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder that interviews Mary and our CEO, John Estrem.

On Tuesday (March 21), CEO John Estrem was interviewed on KSTP's Minnesota Live program.

Hammer & NER's very own Steve Watanaskul (PM at our Arrive apartment program) submitted the story idea on their website and voilà! we had a golden opportunity to share a bit about Hammer & NER's milestone anniversaries.

Click here to see the Minnesota Live interview. Here's a link to our blog to read more about Steve and how he made it happen.

Make plans to join us for our Annual Spring Breakfast! It takes place on Saturday, April 29 at the Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center.

Please join us as we celebrate our past, meet some of the wonderful people we support today, and think about what the future holds.

There is no charge for the event and we encourage you to bring your loved ones.

Please register online here by April 20 or call Michele Swanson at 952-277-2421.

Starting this March, we are "showcasing" one of our homes (or apartment programs) each month, celebrating the people who live there and the staff who support them.

The first home we are showcasing is the Hale home, located in Oakdale. Hale is home to four lovely women. Three of them have lived together over 25 years! All four think of each other as family.  

Learn more about their story at this link.

Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have faced many challenges. While we are thankful for all the new employees who have joined our team, especially in direct support roles, we are still facing a staffing shortage.

In addition, we have been working to blend our Hammer and NER systems into one. That said, our focus remains on providing the people we support with what they need, when they need it, as well as our co-workers. As we work our way through these new opportunities, we intend to SHINE:

·      Support individuals

·      Honor and dignity (for all)

·      Invest in our employees’ careers

·      Navigate change together

·      Experience life!

Save the Date: Thursday, June 22

5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Quincy Hall, NE Minneapolis

Tickets will go on sale in April.

Become a Sponsor early so your name gets on all our promotional materials. Contact Nate.Reed@Hammer.org to find out how you will get recognition for your support or view our Online Sponsorship Brochure.

Donate to our auction: We are looking for a wide variety of items: vacation home getaways, tickets to sporting events, golf outings, jewelry, interesting experiences, wine, spirits, craft beer, restaurant gift cards, power tools, signed sports memorabilia, theme baskets, etc. Please contact Cari at CSheley@Hammer.org with your questions and donations. Click here for the Donation Form.

Hello everyone! My name is Addison Dahmer and I am working on my Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouts. My uncle has called Hammer home for 25 years and absolutely loves it there. That's me as a little girl in the picture to the right next to my uncle.

For Hammer’s 100^th and NER’s 50^th year anniversaries, I wanted to compile a collection of YOUR favorite recipes in hopes of making Hammer & NER cooking feel more like home. We are collecting recipes from staff, volunteers, families, donors, the community we live in, and the individuals we support! 

Please submit your recipes by May 1, 2023 by filling out this Google form.

If you have any questions, or have issues with the Google form and would like to email the recipe, please feel free to reach out to me at: Hammerres100@gmail.com.

The finished cookbook will be revealed and available at the Family Day Picnic in September. Bon appetite!

We have several employees celebrating significant anniversaries this month.

Clockwise from top, Aaron Briggs (DSP, 20 years), Gemah Draper (DSP, 5 years), Lisa Cooper (Lead DSP, 5 years), and Rosetta Kennedy (Lead DSP, 3 years).

Congratulations and thank you for all you do!

Andy, from our Highway 96 home, recently returned from his first Hammer Travel group trip--the destination, Jamaica!

Read a new blog post here all about Andy's adventure and how Hammer Travel is providing amazing trips for those who may otherwise not be able to travel.

Each month in "Happenings" we'll be featuring some of our favorite photos of the people we support "out & about" having fun in their communities. Enjoy!

On the left is a collage of more photos from Sandy's surprise party with Elvis. And on the right are photos from a recent Community Life craft night. The groups made sun catchers, painted pots, and planted marigold seeds.

Are you a member of a civic group (Lions, Rotary, Elks, Young Professionals, etc) or a faith organization that might like to learn more about Hammer & NER?

Please let us know! We’re happy to make a presentation to your members and share our mission. Contact Ginger.Venable@Hammer.org.