In 2009, Martha Gschneidner was preparing to send her youngest son to college. Desiring to give back to her community with her added free time, she sought out volunteer opportunities. This desire to give back would lead to 15 years of volunteerism and generosity with Hammer & NER.

Through volunteer connections with her employer, Martha found a listing for a walking buddy at Hammer Residences. “I thought I could do that, and it would fit really well into my life,” Martha recalls. “The first person I talked to was Joe Esposito. He and I talked about what the volunteer activity would be.” Martha was paired with Rick, who was supported at the Arkansas home at the time. She started to walk with Rick every Wednesday. Then she began treating Rick to soda pop, letting him walk her dog, and eventually joining him for bowling nights.

The condition Rick lived with caused him to be non-verbal. Although they couldn’t converse verbally, Martha says the experience was good for both of them. “Rick was able to get out for a walk and for me it was about being present with someone,” she says. Martha was impacted by Rick’s personality and remembers bowling nights being particularly fun. “Rick was a lovely gentleman, and I had the opportunity to be with him a really long time.”

Martha and Linda, who is supported at County Road F, visited Nashville

Martha also began to give charitably to Hammer. “When I started volunteering with Hammer, giving was a logical extension for me. This is an organization I have chosen to be a part of. Therefore, I want to financially support it as well,” Martha says. She and her husband, Ed, feel it is important to utilize charitable gifts to further fuel the mission of Hammer & NER. “I would like (Hammer & NER) to be able to serve anyone who comes to them asking for service. That sounds simple, but it’s not. You need lots of staff, different types of residences, and different types of services,” Martha says.

Martha’s service led to her being presented with the Community Partner Award in 2019. Soon after, Martha realized another way to get involved: Hammer Travel. Since 2019, she has volunteered on eight trips including Minnesota Twins training camp, Hawaii, and Disney World. “There is just so much joy and excitement when people are traveling,” she says. “It’s fun to see it through the eyes of someone else.”

Martha and TJ, who is supported at Lakeside, on a Hammer Travel trip to Hawaii

Even though Rick transferred to another organization several years ago, Martha continues to be involved as a volunteer and as a donor. She recently returned from a Hammer Travel trip to Florida for Disney’s “Halloween Magic.”

Martha’s volunteerism and generosity is an example of what empowers the 380 individuals served by Hammer & NER to live life to the fullest. Thank you, Martha!

Would you like to volunteer with Hammer & NER? Check out Volunteer Opportunities in Minneapolis | Individual & Group Opportunities for more information.

David Duxbury is a Major Gifts Officer with Hammer & NER’s Development department.