Congratulations to Bill Pugh, Christine Hagen, and Pam Norman!

Each month, we ask our west metro (Hammer) and east metro (NER) Program Directors to nominate Direct Support Professionals and Lead Direct Support Professionals on their team who are going above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of those they serve. One nominee from Hammer and one from NER are selected and receive a $25 gift card of their choice. 

Bill Pugh – Lead Direct Support Professional at Hammer’s Plymouth Colony apartment program

Bill is passionate about the job and dedicated to providing the people we serve with the best care possible. He has a friendly and warm way in how he interacts with the people we serve. Most importantly, when asked to work at another home or apartment, even on short notice, Bill is always willing to go to other programs and work beyond his regular assignments. He goes the extra mile no matter where he’s working.

Bill has worked at Hammer for six years and is a great member of our team. In addition to his regular tasks, he is handy and assists with repairs in the staff office and individual apartments.

Christine Hagen – Float, NER Direct Support Professional

Christine is known for her compassion for those we support. She is incredibly flexible in her ability to change hours and locations based on needs across the organization. Christine has been instrumental in ensuring coverage at our programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. She agreed to stay at sites for several days at a time on multiple occasions, allowing us to significantly limit the spread of COVID-19 between homes. When we consolidated two homes last year, Christine helped provide consistency as individuals became used to their new surroundings.

Christine has made a positive impact in the lives of the people we serve at nearly all our east metro locations. Her ability to adapt to new settings and new people quickly and positively is invaluable. Serving everyone according to their unique needs isn’t always a simple task, but Christine does this with ease. She sees the big picture and understands that making last minute adjustments are often essential to providing quality services to those in our care. Christine recognizes the dynamics of working with people, knows how quickly things can change, and her commitment to service is reflected in her work.

Special Recognition – Pam Norman – Lead Direct Support Professional

We are delighted that Pam, who works at our west metro (Hammer) Sumac home, was a finalist for the ARRM Cares Award, which recognizes direct care staff (in MN) who go above and beyond in providing exceptional support to individuals with disabilities.

Pam has worked for Hammer for 12 years and has developed a natural ability to understand a person’s needs by being a great listener and using her knowledge and resources to connect those we serve with the greater community. As an example, she prints out activity catalogs and calendars from different organizations in the area and encourages people to sign up for events that are of interest to them.

Pam has a talent for helping the people we serve make goals for themselves and take steps to accomplish them. She encourages them to think outside the box and helps them brainstorm ideas and experiment. This approach enables them to find solutions and solve problems on their own. We admire the way Pam helps the people at Sumac to expand their skills and live life to the fullest.

Thank you, Bill, Christine, and Pam, for ALL you do each day to support the individuals we serve.