Our Legacies magazine is a special anniversary publication, celebrating our history, the people we have supported, and those who have made our mission possible all these years. Here is one of our stories from the Hammer & NER Development Team:

Tom and Mari Lowe connected with Hammer when Mari started bringing her therapy dogs to visit our homes. They saw the great work that was happening for people with disabilities. But, when they realized that many of the people we support went without Christmas gifts, it became their mission to provide something for everyone each holiday season.

The Lowes’ generosity has helped many people we support, like Doug and Jean, to have a special Christmas

When Tom and Mari started their holiday tradition, Hammer served 46 people. Today Hammer & NER serves 358 people across the Twin Cities. As we grew, so did Tom and Mari’s generosity. They found a way so that everyone who needed a little something extra at the holidays got it—gifts to share with family, holiday merriment to enjoy with friends, or a trip to Duluth to see the lights of Bentleyville filled the holidays for hundreds of people who otherwise would have had a “Scrooge” kind of holiday.

So, each year for over 40 years, Tom and Mari quietly opened their holiday hearts. In return, they simply delighted in the handwritten and artfully crafted thank you notes they received from individuals who had a brighter holiday because of them. “Each year we looked forward to seeing these cards,” they told us. Mari passed away in the spring of 2022.

We believe in the magic of Tom and Mari Lowe, our holiday angels.