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 Lawndale home in Plymouth!

The Lawndale home is led by Program Managers Michael Bryant & Nenseh Sakpeider. Michael has worked at Hammer & NER for 31 years and Nenseh has been with us for 8 years. She is originally from Liberia. 

Olufemi (Olu) has worked at Lawndale for 22 years. He came to Lawndale in December 2022. Olu is originally from Nigeria and came to the United States to earn a better living for his family. “Olu’s commitment to Lawndale and the individuals gives them hope for life,” Michael says. “Olu is known for taking individuals into the community even when he is not asked to. This helps them utilize the community and improves their quality of life.”

Everyone loves Doris’s cooking!

Doris is one of the home’s long-term staff and has worked at Lawndale since 2007. She is also from Nigeria. “Doris is committed to coming to work every day and will fill in shifts when needed,” Nenseh says. “The individuals we support appreciate having a long-term staff like her. They also look forward to Doris’s cooking—they love her food. David tells his family and others that Doris is the best cook.”

Joseph (Joe) joined the Lawndale team in 2006. He is originally from Liberia. Joe has a genuinely kind spirit that uplifts everyone’s mood. “He brings a positive attitude and welcoming spirit and works well with his coworkers and the individuals we support,” Nenseh says. “His creativity and attention to detail make him an invaluable asset to our team. Everyone appreciates when Joe is around including his coworkers. Most importantly, Joe helps the people we support in meeting their exercise goals by reminding them and working with them each day.” Joe takes David on walks in the neighborhood and to the gym and reminds and assists Steve with his exercises. Joe can always be relied on to work his scheduled shift, pick up shifts, and work last-minute shifts without complaint.

Lawndale’s staff: Nenseh, Rebekah, Deniah, Michael, & Nennie (Olufemi, Doris, Joseph, & Simeon are not pictured)

Rebekah has been with Lawndale since 2015. She is from Liberia. Rebekah not only works her scheduled shift, but also picks up shifts as needed and has worked at many other Hammer & NER homes. Rebekah is highly appreciated for the compassion she shows to the people we support. “Some will yell in excitement when they see Rebekah’s car pulling up in the driveway,” Michael says. “They always look forward to seeing her. Rebekah advocates for those we support and will say something to staff if she thinks an individual is not satisfied or has a complaint about something.”

Deniah (Dee) has a unique personality that makes the team want to work at Lawndale. She is compassionate and caring and makes sure the people we support get their needs met. Dee makes sure they are up in the morning and ready for the day in a timely manner. “Most importantly, Dee makes sure we have healthy food choices in the house and encourages individuals to eat healthy,” Michael says. “She takes their diet seriously and people look up to her to help them eat healthy.” Every staff member who works with Dee appreciates her work ethic and wants to work when she is, including staff outside of Lawndale. Her sense of humanity keeps the Lawndale team going. Dee joined the Lawndale team in 2016. She emigrated from Liberia after the civil war.

Nennie is new at Lawndale. She started in November 2023. Nennie is also from Liberia. “Nennie has made a great impact on the individuals we serve with her positive attitude and enthusiasm,” Nenseh says. “Nennie usually walks into Lawndale with a smile on her face and greets everyone. She is ready to work and asks questions if she does not understand something. She will jump into helping a coworker with cooking, cleaning, and taking the individuals we support out in the community.”

Simeon is new at Lawndale. He started in August 2023. He is from Cameroon and moved to the US in 2016 to pursue his master’s degree, which he attained in 2021. His journey involved overcoming the challenges of settling into a new environment and adjusting to the economic, social, and cultural differences. “It’s been quite a ride,” says Michael, “but he is grateful to have accomplished what he set out to achieve. He is now working toward building his American Dream.” Simeon works overnights and helps everyone with their morning routines and gets two of them off to their day programs. “We are lucky to have him here at Lawndale,” says Michael.

Let’s meet the people supported at Lawndale!

Michael, David, Richard, & Steve (Daniel is not pictured)

Steve is 59 years old and has lived at Lawndale for two years. He previously lived at our Ridgeview home. Steve likes exercising, music, going to his day program at Opportunity Partners, and talking to staff and his peers. He dislikes direction and loud noises. He enjoys visits with his sister who takes him out for coffee.

Richard is 63 and has lived at Lawndale for 26 years. He likes to go out with staff as well as his long-time friend John, who calls and visits and takes him for the holidays. He also likes music, movies, and engaging with his staff and peers—and naps! He dislikes loud noises.

Daniel is 60 and has lived at Lawndale for 26 years. While he is non-verbal, he knows some sign language. Daniel likes monster trucks, remote trucks, movies/TV, drawing, and coping papers. He also enjoys visits from his mother. He dislikes interactions with a lot of other people.

David is 57 and has lived at Lawndale for 11 years. He likes good food, walks, exercise, spending time with his family, and watching sports. He loves helping around the house and going to his day program at Rise. David has a lot of family and enjoys going to the lake and cabin with them. His sister helps by taking him to doctor appointments. She buys pizza once a month for the house as well as Christmas gifts for everyone, including staff.

Michael is 49 years old and has lived at Lawndale for 4 years. His guardian is his aunt, who visits him each month. They like to spend time in the yard when the weather is nice. They sing and read the Bible together. They also do crafts and she looks forward to seeing Michael at church on Tuesdays.

Tell us about the culture of the home: What kinds of activities do the people you support like to do either on their own or as a group? This is an ICF home, meaning everyone has higher needs. “It’s a family house,” Nenseh says. “Staff see the people they support as family. They want to do more for them.”

Staff do a lot of one-to-one support with the individuals at Lawndale. “Olu takes Steve out every Saturday,” says Michael. “During the summer, they enjoy sitting in the yard and going out into the neighborhood for walks. Steve looks forward to going out for a cup of coffee with his sister or staff. Michael likes going out to concerts in the park. Everyone is up for doing things together. They go bowling, go to church, and participate in whatever’s going at Hammer & NER like the annual Luau, movie night, or bingo. David enjoys Hammer travel trips like spring training. Mike really loves music, it’s like therapy for him, especially Christian music.”

What draws you to this work? “I have a passion for caring for people,” says Nenseh. “There’s no other job I would want to do other than working with people with disabilities. I have worked doing retail and fast food in the past. In 2004, I went to a group home and have been doing that ever since. I love it here. The reason I’m still here is that we work as a team in supporting people. I feel like the longer we work with them, the more they feel we are their family and look forward to seeing us coming on a daily basis. Leaving would be hard for me. I feel they appreciate me and that makes it easier to do my job.”

Michael also has a background in the retail and fast-food industries. “I started in this field in the mid-80s when I was living in Philadelphia. I came to Minnesota and stayed in the field. What makes my day is being around long-term staff. You watch people grow each year. You can see they are happy. That makes you feel good. We like the fact that everyone works as a team. It keeps everyone motivated. The years just fly by. Suddenly, it’s been 20 years.”

Nenseh says everyone has a good working relationship. “It’s not perfect but we do well working with each other. I know the individuals appreciate having long-term staff; they don’t see new faces all the time. Dan, Marie, and Rick are the original ones here. Michael has been here 31 years.”

Michael adds, “We are lucky. Everyone here loves the work.”   

As Program Managers, what hopes and dreams do you have for the home? “A picnic and play area with swings in the backyard,” says Nenseh. “I’m also advocating for a walk-in tub. We have three bathrooms with showers and a shower room. All the individuals here are aging and some have balance issues.”

How could volunteers benefit the people you support as individuals or as a group? “We could use someone who could do music or speech therapy,” says Nenseh. “One of our individuals could use a 1:1 volunteer to take him out into the community.”