Summer is a great time to be outdoors with family and friends. Who doesn’t love gathering for a picnic or finding a fun spot to go swimming? We know lots of folks at Hammer & NER who do!

Plymouth Colony

This summer is a particularly special one for getting together as we celebrate Hammer’s 100- and NER’s 50-year anniversaries. In addition to our annual Luau (July 18!) and Family Day Picnic (Sept. 23), we’re hosting home gatherings (formerly known as state-of-the-house meetings) at many of our homes and apartment programs in the weeks and months ahead.

Welcome Place

“The home gatherings are designed so that guardians and other family members can gather with staff to learn about what’s going on at the program, at Hammer & NER, and across the state related to disabilities services, and ask questions,” says Sue Walker, Chief Program Officer. It’s a great time to reconnect with each other. “Parents are interested in what’s going on at the legislature and our advocacy as it affects the care of their loved one and financial support of the services they depend on,” Sue says. “We always talk about that along with staffing at the location, what we are doing as an organization to support our employees, and the ways in which we are supporting people as they age.”

Gardner

And there’s always plenty of food and fun! Many of the home gatherings take place in the backyard or at a local park where there’s plenty of room for picnicking, games, and swimming. Several homes, including Welcome Place, Gardner, and the Plymouth Colony apartment program, recently hosted home gatherings with many more scheduled in the weeks ahead. Our home gatherings are another way we can enjoy being together again!