Family, extended.
Hammer & NER’s mission is to provide people with intellectual and other disabilities the opportunity to live life to its fullest. We fulfill our mission daily by helping the people we support live meaningful and self-directed lives. In partnership with you, we will continue to open doors and unlock possibilities for the people we serve in our homes, apartments, and with our case management and care coordination services.
Look for Ralph!
Join us—there is a place for YOU in our community!
Give
Our extended family of donors make a world of difference in the quality of life we can provide the people we serve. Your gift of support stays right here in our community.
Volunteer
Many of the people we serve would love a friend to take a walk with, bake cookies, get a pedicure, or share a love of reading. An hour here and there can make a BIG difference in someone’s life.
Advocate
Our easy-to-use Advocacy Alert portal helps you email local legislators to encourage them to act on issues important to people with disabilities and those who care for them.
Supporting People in Homes & Apartments
Hammer & NER provide housing and supportive services for people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities in group homes and apartment program settings. We are committed to our mission to provide the people we serve the opportunity to live life to its fullest.
To learn more, contact Chris Chica, Residential Services Coordinator at cchica@hammer.org or call 952-277-2449.
Read the latest stories in our blog
Inside you’ll find news, updates, and stories: from the people we serve and the families we work with; of the people who work and volunteer here; of our long, rich history and our vision for the future.
Andy—A Helping Hand & Heart in the Kitchen
Andy attends our day program five days a week in White Bear Lake. Living in one of our homes, Andy participates in many activities offered in the evenings and on weekends with Hammer & NER. When he is not out and about enjoying a local apple orchard, a movie at the theatre, or checking out the zoo, you will find Andy poking his nose in the kitchen at our White Bear Lake office. He not only enjoys the yummy smells but is always wanting to lend a helping hand. The Wednesday morning Cooks in the Kitchen volunteer program is in the basement where our day program is also located.
My Sweet Brother, Mickey
Julie Wesley-Wong is Vice President of the Hammer & NER Board and chairs the Board’s Advocacy committee. Her brother, Mickey, joined the Hammer family in 1978 when he moved into the boys’ dorm on the Hammer campus. Recently, she sat down with Chief Development Officer, Ellen Timmerman-Borer, to reflect on her brother’s life, her mother’s legacy, and the responsibilities that come with caring for a sibling with a disability as they age.
Steven’s New Forever Home
Steve was five years old when our parents made the heart-breaking decision, along with input from their priest and family doctor, to move him to a state institution. Thankfully, as the years went by, community group homes became available. In 1997, Steve moved into NER’s Arcade home where he lived for 27 years, having been blessed with mostly the same roommates the entire time. Our family and Steve had looked to Arcade as his forever home. However, as he has grown older, his health has declined, and we knew we needed to move him to a one-level home. We knew the change would be tough. But we found him his new forever home!