Each of our Hammer & NER homes is unique because of the people who live and work there. The “Showcasing Our Homes” profiles celebrate our homes (and apartment programs), the people who live there, and the staff who support them. Let’s learn about the Gramsie home in Shoreview!

The Gramsie home is staffed by Program Manager Amy Stamnes and Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) Camryn Cheever (Lead), Thomasine Stahn, Hinda Ibrahim, and Carla Pleasants. 

Amy 

Amy Stamnes began working at our Hale home in 2013 every other weekend as a second job. Later, she was the Lead DSP at County Road F. Amy came to Gramsie in 2021 to serve as the Program Manager. Earlier in her career, Amy did medical transcription, worked as a nursing assistant, and has done accounts receivable work. She says her current role has enabled her to bring all those skills together. Amy loves what she does.

Camryn

Camryn Cheever has been with Hammer & NER for over three years. She worked at a few other homes until she became the lead staff at Gramsie in September. She also picks up shifts at the County Road F home. Camryn is very knowledgeable about the community we serve. She goes the extra mile to make sure all the needs of those she supports are met. Amy says Camryn is highly organized, especially in the kitchen, and cooks excellent meals. She enjoys doing outings in the community with the Gramsie gals.

Thomasine (Tomie)

Thomasine Stahn is the overnight/morning DSP and also works every other weekend. She has been with Hammer & NER for about a year and a half. Thomasine enjoys taking the ladies out into the community for meals, shopping, and even took one of them to Las Vegas. Amy says she is very dedicated to the happiness of the ladies, and they call her “Grandma.”

Hinda

Hinda Ibrahim works every other weekend as a DSP for Gramsie. She also picks up shifts at another home on the weekends. Hinda has been with Hammer & NER for seven years.  She likes to take the ladies to the Dollar Store and Walmart. Everyone enjoys those outings. Hinda is a fabulous cook and often makes French toast on the weekends. Hinda keeps the house clean and tidy and encourages the ladies to join in, which they enjoy.

Carla

Carla Pleasants has been with Hammer & NER for 35 years. She previously worked with NER’s former respite program and then became a Program Director. Carla currently works as a DSP one day every other week and picks up extra shifts when needed. Amy says her knowledge and experience are a great asset to the ladies and staff.

Gramsie is home to four ladies. Three have lived together for many years and are like sisters.  The newest addition to the home moved in, in 2021 and has become good friends with everyone. They play softball together on a team for adults with disabilities and often attend dances together. They enjoy going on outings in the community and attending classes that are offered through Hammer & NER and Caring Bridge. 

Angie

Angie is a very independent and organized woman. She has been with Hammer & NER since 1998. Amy says Angie is always on top of her game and has a lot of knowledge about daily events. She keeps her room clean and organized and will also help organize things around the house. Angie is from Pine City and follows their sports teams closely. She receives the Pine County newspaper and always checks the scores for her sports teams. She has worked at Kowalski’s in Woodbury for 25 years and is proud of her work stocking items and cleaning around the store and ordering supplies. She likes to work on her laptop doing Word Find puzzles. She teasingly refers to Amy as “Mother.”

Sandra

Sandra is an extremely sweet and kind lady who enjoys knitting. She has several looms and likes to knit hats and scarves and give them as gifts. She loves country music and has attended concerts including Tim McGraw (her favorite) and Shania Twain. Sandra works on her computer daily doing Word Find puzzles. She also enjoys reading library books to her housemates and staff. Sandra loves going to the casino to play the slots and traveled to Las Vegas with one of her staff members. Sandra attends Merrick, where she pre-packages birthday cards for retail clients. She has lived at Gramsie since 1997.

Paula

Paula is legally blind and is amazingly independent around the house. She is very sweet and kind and always upbeat. She does her own laundry and puts her clothes away. Amy says Paula is very funny and often comes up with one-liners out of nowhere. Paula absolutely loves country music and can name almost any country star from the 1990s. Her favorite country singer is Keith Whitley. Paula enjoys going on outings to the park, the mall, Walmart, and the zoo. She also enjoys doing puzzles and is very good at them. Paula attends a day program at Accord. She has been supported at Gramsie since 1997.

Karen

Karen is the newest member of the Gramsie house. She enjoys coloring and listening to country music. Amy says she is great at keeping her room clean and getting her things ready when going to visit her sister. Karen enjoys helping around the house and keeping things in order. She loves to travel and has been to Hershey, Pennsylvania and taken a cruise to Walt Disney World. She is looking forward to going on a cruise to Alaska later this year with Hammer Travel. Karen is very close to her sister and loves to spend the weekend with her when possible. She attends a day program at PAI where, like Sandra, she pre-packages greeting cards for retailers. Karen has been supported at Gramsie since 2021.

What are your wishes for the home? “To have consistent staff,” Amy says. “I like to make sure people are enjoying their job here and have what they need. As they (the people we support) age in the house, we go through those changes together and are supportive of any changes that can happen.” As an example, a ramp has been added outside the front entrance for easier accessibility. Staff would like to get a step-in tub, which is a current need for one of the gals.

Do you have any volunteer needs? How could volunteers benefit the people you support as individuals or as a group? “Last year one of the maintenance staff brought us a trailer of mulch, but we need more,” says Amy. “We could use some help getting it down.”

“We’ve also been talking about sprucing up the front yard with flowers and hostas,” adds Camryn, “to make it more inviting.”

What makes this home special? “They are beautiful, wonderful, caring, people,” Amy says. “It’s an honor and pleasure to be here.” Camryn adds that it’s easy to connect with the ladies. “When you see the same people for 40+ hours a week it’s hard not to have a relationship with them.”