On September 21, we gathered for our annual Family Day Picnic, bringing together the people we support, their families, our dedicated staff, and volunteers for a day of food, games, and music.

Even with a few brief rain showers, Mother Nature couldn’t keep the sun away, and the day turned out to be beautiful! A big thanks to all the volunteers and staff who made the event such a success. Be sure to check out the gallery of photos from the day here.

In mid-September, we celebrated DSP Recognition Week, honoring our incredible Direct Support Professionals, Lead DSPs, Float Specialists, and Program Managers.

Throughout the week, our staff at each of our houses and apartment programs enjoyed special gifts and treats as a token of our appreciation. Their hard work and dedication make a world of difference in the lives of those we support.

We're so grateful for everything they do! Be sure to check out the special video highlighting this meaningful week.

Join us at a Pickleball Social event to raise funds for Hammer & NER at the Minneapolis Cider Company on Sunday, October 13 from 1:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M.

Join former Twins players LaTroy Hawkins, Glen Perkins, and other local celebrities for a fun afternoon. Read more about it and purchase tickets at the Early Bird price of $25 on our event website before October 7: https://hammer.org/charity-pickleball-2024/

You don’t need to play pickleball to enjoy the live music by Jenna Graves and the Loons, play bag toss, ping pong or just watch the competition.

Sponsored by KFAN Radio.

Join us in celebrating Emma Handeland's (Program Manager at our Lakeside home) recent wedding, where she and her husband Ben made a heartfelt choice to include the individuals she supports in their special day. Discover how this beautiful celebration of love and friendship highlights the strong bonds formed at Hammer & NER.

Read the full story on our blog!

We have several employees celebrating significant anniversaries.

Rachel Revels (top left, Lead DSP, 20 years), Sam Ramsdell (top right, PM, 10 years), Helena Watson (bottom right, Lead DSP, 10 years), Joetta Giddings (bottom left, PM, 10 years), Mona Mohamud (DSP, 5 years), and Stacey Iverson (Accounting Clerk, 5 years).

Celebrating 3 year anniversaries with Hammer & NER are Megan Pierce (Recreation Specialist), Andrea Christenson (PM), Tom Juenemann (IT Specialist), Oladimeji Fakanlu (Lead DSP), and Rachel Southa (HR).

Congratulations and thank you for all that you do!

If you have never voted, or moved since the last election, you can register to vote online. It is fast and easy to do. You will need your drivers license to register and just follow the steps at the MN Secretary of State’s voting web site: https://mnvotes.sos.mn.gov/VoterRegistration/index

Be sure to contact our Advocacy Director, Mike Siebenaler if you have any questions.

In our May Happenings Newsletter, we shared the exciting news about the flower bed project at our Currie home, where our dedicated staff and the amazing individuals we support teamed up to create something beautiful. Now, we’re delighted to announce that the chocolate cherry sunflowers are in full bloom, adding vibrant color and cheer to our garden! Click the picture to the right to see these stunning flowers up close and celebrate this wonderful achievement with us!

When it comes to charitable giving, there are more options available than mailing a check. If you are looking to maximize your generosity, it may be valuable to consider gifts of stock or other securities.

Gifts of stock are an effective way to fuel the mission of Hammer & NER. Rather than selling stock and donating the proceeds, you can gift stock directly to Hammer & NER. Gifting stock directly to a non-profit organization can increase the impact of your gift by as much as 20%. The reason for this has to do with capital gains taxes. If you were to sell stock, you might need to pay up to 20 percent of the proceeds of the sale in federal capital gains taxes.

However, there are no capital gains taxes to pay when gifting stock directly to a non-profit organization. This empowers you to both deduct the fair market value of your stock from your taxes and maximize your gift to Hammer & NER.

Like cash gifts, you can give an undesignated gift or direct your gift to something specific. Gifts of stock have been utilized for areas of greatest need, home improvements, and employee training. Would you like to maximize your impact through Hammer & NER? You are invited to consider a gift of stock to give those who live with developmental disabilities the opportunity to live life to the fullest.

For more information visit this link or contact David Duxbury at 952-345-8519 or david.duxbury@hammer.org.

Each month in Happenings we feature some of our favorite photos of the people we support "Out & About" having fun in their communities. This month we're featuring photos from the Community Life Department on our east side.

Since taking on her new role as Recreation Specialist, Megan Pierce has been creating an exciting lineup of activities for the individuals we support, from painting and cooking classes to kickball and yoga. These events not only encourage creative expression, teamwork, and physical fitness but also provide opportunities for staff and individuals alike to build meaningful relationships. Check out the photos of Megan (pictured top center on the photo on the right) and the fun activities she’s helped organize!