Check out what's going on at Hammer & NER

Happenings

April 2024

Our 2023 Annual Report is Now Available Online!

Thank you for being a valuable partner in helping us provide people with intellectual and other disabilities the opportunity to live a full life.

Click here to read our 2023 Annual Report online. You can also find our 2023 Donor Listings here.

Thank you for being a dedicated supporter of Hammer & NER!

Spring Breakfast Recap

We had a full house at our annual Spring Breakfast, held recently at the Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center.

Thank you to all the family, supported individuals, friends, staff and volunteers who came out to hear a number of speakers talk about the past year at Hammer & NER.

Click here to see a photo gallery of highlights from the Spring Breakfast.

Happy 87th to James!

James McKune is our longest-supported (and oldest) person at Hammer & NER. James came to Hammer Residences in 1948 at the age of 11. He lived in the old “Hammer house,” the farmhouse which was located on today’s West office campus. It had a big porch that James dearly loved.

Earlier this month, we helped him celebrate his 87th birthday with a party at our West office. James loved the big cake and was happy to see all the people who turned out for his birthday (especially the ladies!).

We are blessed to have James in our Hammer & NER family and wish him many more happy years. James is pictured to the right with Anna Byro, Program Manager at our Carlson home.

Volunteer Appreciation Week

Volunteer Appreciation Week took place recently (April 21-27) and it was the perfect chance for us to thank the nearly 400 volunteers who give of their time and talent to Hammer & NER!

The video below was created to thank our volunteers and we invite you to watch it to learn more about the many ways they've impacted Hammer & NER this past year.

At our Spring Breakfast last week we honored three volunteers with the Community Partner Award. These awards honor those who make signifcant contributions to Hammer & NER through their time, talent, and treasure. This year we honored Andrew Pollock, Deb Gjorass, and Mary Bradley. You can click on each of their names to read blog posts about the amazing volunteer work they do.

Thank you to all our volunteers! If you'd like to check out the ways you can volunteer with Hammer & NER, visit our website.

Staff Anniversaries

We have several employees celebrating significant anniversaries.

Chris Chica (Case Manager, upper left, 10 years), Samantha Vokaty (Program Director, upper right, 10 years), Kubay Quoiyan (Lead DSP, lower right, 5 years), Najma Mohamed (DSP, 5 years), Catherine Naplah (DSP, lower left, 3 years), and Darrell Moore (DSP, 3 years).

Congratulations and thank you for all that you do!

Day Support Program Up and Running at East Office

After a lot of work and planning, the new Day Support Program is up and running at our East office!

Megan Pierce was previously a Program Director and transitioned into the role of Recreation Specialist and oversees the Day Program.

The program began with nine people supported by Hammer & NER who come to the office to do a variety of activities including arts and crafts. They also take trips out in the community including a recent visit to the zoo.

Megan says the people attending are having a positive experience and look forward to coming the next day.

"We are assisting in the individuals exercising their creativity, their relationship building skills, getting out into the community, learning, and finding a new excitement for life," Megan says.

The program continues to gain more interest and has added new invidviduals that are attending.

Calling All Kitchen Enthusiasts!

Join us every Wednesday morning from 9:00 a.m. to noon for our delightful Cooks in the Kitchen volunteer opportunity on the east side of the metro in White Bear Lake. Our Cooks in the Kitchen program is fast becoming one of our more popular volunteer opportunities at Hammer & NER. The meals are delivered to the homes of the people we support right here at Hammer & NER.

Your group of 4-6 people will whip up two different mouthwatering meals that will warm the hearts and tummies of the folks we support.

Whether you're a seasoned chef or a kitchen newbie, we welcome all helping hands and a dash of good humor. So, grab your aprons, turn up the tunes, don't forget your hairnet, and let's make Wednesday mornings a delicious adventure! We will provide everything you need.

If you are interested in being a part of Cooks in the Kitchen, please contact our Volunteer Resources Manager, Julie Huffcutt at Julie.Huffcutt@hammer.org or call her at 952-345-8509.

Please Join Us For Reach for Ralph!

Thursday, June 13

5:30 – 9:00 p.m.

Quincy Hall in NE Minneapolis

It's going to be an unforgettable evening filled with music, food, drinks, laughter, and fun! 🥳

So grab your friends and family and let's make some memories together. Don't miss out on the event of the year! Tickets on Sale Now!

$150 before May 15

$175 starting May 16

$1,000 buys a table for 8 for family and friends!

Become a Sponsor: Contact Nathan.Reed@hammer.org to find out how you will get recognition for your support.

Donate to our auction: We are looking for a wide variety of items: tickets to sporting events or performances, golf outings, interesting experiences, vacation home rental, wine, beer, restaurant gift cards, power tools, signed sports memorabilia, theme baskets, etc. Please contact Ginger.Venable@hammer.org for more information.

Our Presenting Sponsor is Geritom Medical. For a list of all of our sponsors as of April 23, click here.

Out & About

Each month in Happenings we feature some of our favorite photos of the people we support "Out & About" having fun in their communities. Here are some photos from a recent Spring Dance hosted by our Community Life Department.