By Mallory Clark, Assistant Program Manager Last fall Brandon Eddy, RN and I were brainstorming creative ways for people to exercise and have fun at the same time. We came up with the idea of encouraging the individuals we serve to challenge themselves and participate in a 5K. As we searched the...
By Maggie Starr-Knox, Assistant Program Manager From my time at the Hammer Day Supports program, I have my fair share of stories to tell (not nearly as many as our buddy Brad). One that sticks out in my mind is our weekly trip to Bruegger’s. It is something everyone looks forward to doing. Every...
By Betsy Gadbois, Director of Learning & Education for Opportunity Partners Person centered thinking and person centered planning seem to be the buzzwords in the disability world, again. We have been talking about these concepts for all of my 30+ years in the field. We all want to believe that...
By Katie Jo Houtman My name is Katie Jo Houtman, and I was born with Prader-Willi syndrome. This condition affects the area of the brain responsible for appetite control. It also causes poor muscle tone, a very high percentage of body fat and lack of energy. Because of Prader-Willi syndrome, my...
By Peter Schaffran, Case Manager I began supporting those with disabilities in 2002 when I worked with developmental disability children. I was a college student at MSU – Mankato and I was searching for the right fit after graduation. After I short time working at Pinnacle with...
By Bill Young, Board Vice President for both Hammer and Hammer Travel It was 2009, and I was having a bad day at work. I stepped out of the elevator on my way home and ran into a coworker, Mark Flannery who was the immediate past President on the Hammer Board of Directors. He said, “I have great...
By Melissa Diamond, Direct Support Professional Last summer, I hosted a lecture event in Minnetonka as a fundraiser for my organization, A Global Voice for Autism. The event featured Hammer CEO John Estrem and parent autism advocate Idil Abdull. Idil has been a leader in drawing attention to the...
By Beth Fondell, Hammer Advocate, Volunteer & Former Board Member Everybody likes a good story, right? A “happily ever after” tale has a special appeal. As a fifth grader, it was the biography of Helen Keller that peaked my interest in the lives of people with disabilities. At the time, I had...
By Josh Hollenhorst, Billing Specialist Music is important. This may seem like an obvious statement, but sometimes we need reminding. Music is one of a few things that has the power to move us, help us, or inspire us. Most importantly, music has the ability to bring people together. Music helps us...
By Elijah Berg, Direct Support Professional One of my favorite memories from childhood was spending the weekend at my grandparents’ house. On Saturday mornings, I would awaken to the smell of my grandfather’s pancakes. My grandfather worked at Pillsbury for years, and he had a “secret” recipe for...
By Dan Pysno, Program Manager We all have a routine. It makes life more predictable and less scary. It helps us feel organized. Generally, routine plays an important role for individuals at Hammer. It is also an integral part of the day to day work of our staff teams. Routine serves a purpose and...
By Brian Kelly, In-Home Program Manager Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a neurological movement disorder that causes a person to have both motor and vocal tics. To me, it is what I got made fun of for when I was a kid (my head twitches, incessant blinking, the compulsion to count things until they were...
By John Estrem, CEO Change is a normal part of everyday life; however, 2014 is shaping up to be a year of particularly big change in our field. This is being driven by two large revisions that have been a long time coming – a new rate setting system and the new 245D waiver regulations. The rate...
by Fatma Sheekh, Direct Support Professional Hidden away on the quiet corner of 12th and Nicollet Mall in Downtown Minneapolis is French Corner Bistro and Bakery. Most of us pass by without ever noticing the white poodle and the words “consider yourself Frenched” written on a red bubble. I was...
by Levi Martinka, Hammer Volunteer My sister Joy has Down syndrome. Some may consider having a sibling with a disability to be a burden. In my mind, it is, and always has been, a blessing. Despite being my younger sister, she has greatly shaped my life (whether she knows it or not). Because she is...
By Ann Martinka, Business Development Associate for Hammer Travel As a parent of a child with a disability, the future is an unknown, intimidating and down-right scary place. During the early years, the focus of life is on the here and now. Taking life day by day is not an exaggeration, and the...
by Tony Baisley, Director of Communication I was enjoying a birthday dinner at The Modern Cafe in Nordeast recently when something caught my eye. A young woman with what I perceived to be a cognitive disability was out for the evening with her family, also celebrating a birthday. Everyone appeared...
by Karen Trygstad, Training Administrative Assistant The road to reconnecting with Mitch was nothing short of a divine intervention. Explaining to anyone how I know Mitch requires a flow chart, which makes the reunion all that more special. I am “related” to Rod Carew, the former Minnesota Twins...
By Brandon Eddy, RN My day starts early in the morning when I hear that peaceful, calming sound of the alarm clock going off at 6:45AM. As soon as I roll over, grab my alarm, and quickly turn it off, I check my phone (not for Facebook or ESPN updates). In fact, I check my text messages and emails...
By Shane Raymond, Hammer Volunteer A few years back I found myself wanting to give back to my community in a personally meaninful way. My intent was to mesh that hope with my desire to spend more time with Indy, our Border Collie mix. Indy was going through a midlife crisis, of sorts, and needed...
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