By Elizabeth Muench and Nicole Dardis Elizabeth: My name is Elizabeth Muench and I’m a junior in the St. Kate’s University/University of St. Thomas joint social work program. I started interning at Hammer Residences in September 2018. As the school year is wrapping up, so is my time at Hammer....
The Church of the Open Door has been selected as the Volunteer of the Month for May! For the past several years, the Church of the Open Door has partnered with Hammer by having their youth group volunteer at our Rockford, Royal Oaks, and Zealand locations. The church’s Service Learning...
By Angela Bernhardt, Director of Major Gifts Hammer Residences was founded in 1923 by Alvina Hammer, a courageous and creative woman who believed that individuals living with developmental disabilities had the right to lead lives as normal as possible. She believed that in a loving and supported...
By Hannah Barnes, Communication Specialist Every community needs someone who brings people together. At Vicksburg, that person is Meg. Meg moved in to her apartment in January 2018. She has acclimated quickly to her new community in that short amount of time and is now thriving. Meg is a social...
By Angela Bernhardt, Director of Major Gifts Hammer Residences is excited to welcome Twin City Heating and Air as a new sponsor of Hammer’s Reach for Ralph event. There’s a family connection between Hammer and Twin City Heating and Air. Business owner Wymond Wong’s wife, Julie Wesley-Wong, is a...
By Hannah Barnes, Communication Specialist Robin was one of the first individuals to move in at our Zealand apartment program when it opened in 1999. In the 20 years she has lived at Zealand, she has grown substantially, becoming increasingly more independent. Program Manager, Craig Raymond, has...
By Hannah Barnes, Communication Specialist Kevin was initially drawn to Lamarr because he liked his hairstyle. Now, over a year later, their relationship has evolved and they are close friends! Lamarr first found his job at Hammer because his fiancée used to work at the organization. She told him...
The Volunteer of the Month for March is Cindy Staples! Cindy first found Hammer in 2002, when she was looking for an opportunity to make a difference in the life of someone else. Cindy is passionate about health and wellness, and when she saw that Gretchen was looking for a fitness coach, it...
The February Volunteer of the Month is Cliff Miatech! Cliff has been a Hammer volunteer since 2017. He first heard about Hammer from his brother, Joey, who is also a volunteer. Based on Joey’s recommendation, he thought we would be a good volunteer fit. Cliff was interested in becoming a...
By Tim Eshelman, Director of Environmental Services As Hammer’s Director of Environmental Services for many years, a lot has changed since I started in 1990. As I have grown older (and wiser!) so have the individuals served and supported by Hammer – and their Hammer homes. Keeping our 36...
By Hannah Barnes, Communication Specialist There are many dynamic duos in the world: Batman and Robin, Bert and Ernie, peanut butter and jelly, and at Hammer’s Lancaster home, it’s Chris and Vance. Chris and Vance were instantly friends when they met. The duo bonded over their love of video games...
Congratulations to our January Volunteer of the Month, Andy Hemmer! Andy discovered Hammer one year ago, after searching for volunteer opportunities on Google. He wanted to find a way to help out in the community and grow personally. The opportunity that Hammer presented to bond with someone...
By Hannah Barnes, Communication Specialist As Jamey Price hung up her Christmas wreath this year, she was taken on a trip down memory lane. The wreath, which was made by the individuals at the Hammer School in the early 1970s, was her mother’s, prior to her passing in 2015. Jamey’s mother, Marge,...
Jeanne celebrated 45 years of service at Opportunity Partners last week! She was honored during a pin ceremony in front of her friends, co-workers, and staff. A proud employee, Jeanne said she is grateful for her time at Opportunity Partners. She said the time has flown by, and it doesn’t feel...
By Hannah Barnes, Communication Specialist George Emerson has been involved with sports at the University of Minnesota since he was a teenager. He has ushered several games and still goes to many sporting events today. He even has season tickets to the Gopher men’s hockey games. In addition to...
By Emily Lavalier, Direct Support Professional This past summer, Gina, who lives in one of Hammer’s group homes, had the chance to go see Mamma Mia at the Ordway in St. Paul. Gina is a huge Mamma Mia fan and knows all of the songs. She has the movie and it is one of her favorites to watch...
The Volunteer of the Month for November is Bethany Collins! Bethany began as a pet therapy volunteer with Hammer in 2008, and has been volunteering ever since! Bethany was looking for a place to volunteer with her wonderful new puppy, Chase. He is a miniature Australian shepherd who is very smart...
Hammer’s Volunteer of the Month for October is Andy Bleck! Andy first heard about Hammer in 2012, through one of the individuals we support who worked at the Byerly’s in Minnetonka. This individual has a magnetic and funny personality, and would talk a lot about the positive impact Hammer has had...
By Hannah Barnes, Communication Specialist Jacqi loves Boy George and his band, Culture Club. She has been a fan for many years and has attended his shows every time one of his tours stops in Minnesota. For one of the concerts, Jacqi even purchased a VIP experience and met him. Boy George and...
By Hannah Barnes, Communication Specialist Oral hygiene is a key part of living a healthy and happy lifestyle. Individuals living with developmental disabilities often have more frequent and more severe oral health problems than the general population. Most individuals served by Hammer are on...
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