Together we raised $342,093!

A huge thank you to our 300 guests and 50 volunteers who participated in our annual Reach for Ralph fundraiser on June 13. The event was sold out! Caring for the Heart is about caring for the lives of the people we support and their caregivers. Our people are aging, and our work force is shrinking. You have helped us meet the increasing needs of our rapidly aging population and provide the training and skills our staff need to feel confident and comfortable in their work.



Check out our blog post about Reach for Ralph to read highlights from the event.

Visit our Reach for Ralph page at Hammer.org/2024-thank-you to: 

• Enjoy the photo gallery from the evening   
• Watch the event video featuring the ladies of Black Oaks, who have a combined 152 years of living life to its fullest at Hammer & NER.

Your generous support and enthusiasm mean so much to the 370 people we support, their amazing caregivers, and all of us at Hammer & NER. A special thanks to our generous sponsors.



If you missed out, you can make a difference today by giving a gift at Hammer.org/2024-thank-you

This year, 67 participants and over 20 staff members joined Hammer & NER’s 19th annual fishing trip (in two groups) up to beautiful Gull Lake in Brainerd. Despite the unusual weather, with storms and strong winds making the fish less active, the group made the most of the amenities at Gull Four Seasons Resort. The groups enjoyed the hot tub and pool, collected rocks along Gull Lake’s shore to paint, and ended the day with a night of bingo! 

This trip wouldn't have been possible without our dedicated fishing trip staff and our fantastic volunteer pontoon driver, Captain Bob Martinka. Everyone is already looking forward to next year’s trip and expecting even more fun and hopefully more fish! 

In preparation for the 2024 Legislative Session, ARRM (our trade organization) prepared a lengthy list of policy provisions. They were aimed at easing workforce shortages in disability services, revising outdated regulations, and growing the use of critical tools, like assistive technology. By the close of the 2024 session, ARRM was able to deliver on several important policy provisions, including preemption of local rental license regulations on residential settings, streamlining and standardizing the use of technology services, and expanding which staff are eligible to be trained on passing medications.

ARRM reports that more than 1,000 self-advocates, Direct Support Professionals, managers, and leadership helped advocate for its legislative agenda during Disability Services Day at the Capitol in April. Indeed, our united voices are ARRM’s most impactful and influential lobbying tool! A huge thank you to everyone from our Hammer & NER family who attended. You made a difference! Here’s a link to the full summary report from ARRM if you’re interested: https://tinyurl.com/wj3trhts

Hammer & NER is committed to ensuring we have a culturally competent, diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment. We are strengthening cultural competence so all employees can interact effectively across lines of difference with co-workers and program participants. We are building a shared vocabulary around topics of culture, equity, and differences such as gender, ethnicity, cultural backgrounds, and race.



In recent months, 170 employees completed a series of six learning sessions based on the concept of “filter shifting” or developing interpersonal effectiveness. The process was facilitated by deepSEE, an international DEI-focused firm that helps employees better understand their personal filters and how unconscious bias might impact relationships and actions. Employees from across Hammer & NER have formed a working group called the “Learn, Act, Process Task Force.” They are developing key insights gathered from an all-staff DEI survey and 10 focus groups that represented a wide array of employees. The Task Force will lead us in establishing an organizational vision, strategies, priorities, key actions, and timelines for the next steps. This will include the development of a multi-year DEI strategic plan, expanded DEI training for our full workforce, and additional DEI engagement with Hammer & NER’s Board of Directors.

We have several employees celebrating significant anniversaries.

Clockwise from upper left, Steve Watanaskul (PM, 10 years), William Sherman (DSP, 10 years), Yata Mensah (Lead DSP, 10 years), Gabriel Dedo (DSP, 10 years), Jateni Alo (DSP, 10 years), Ross Muellenberg (DSP, 5 years), Vera Lelyukh (DSP, 5 years), and Paul Roberts (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.

To enlarge the photos, simply click on them.