By Justin Edin, Assistant Program Manager, Zealand Apartments I have always enjoyed theater and the arts as far back as I can remember. Basically, I have been doing informal improvisation my whole life, which some of you may know as “playing pretend.” As a boy, I would pretend anything and...
By Kate Bottiger, Director of Volunteer Resources Grateful is a word on which I often reflect. As the Director of Volunteer Resources at Hammer, I am able to show appreciation to our volunteers who share their time and talents with the individuals we support. And, to my fellow employees, I am...
By Christine R. Olsen, RN When the first words I hear in the morning are: “I haven’t pooped in a week,” I know it’s going to be an interesting day. About a month into my time working at Hammer, I woke up to one of those calls from an individual we support. Now, I’m a nurse, so to be honest, this...
By Mary Gaasch, Program Manager I took a deep breath. This was risky, I knew. Just mentioning a difficult situation to Leslie could potentially ignite a crisis. A few years ago, it would have sent her into a sobbing, raging state that would have lasted a week. “Leslie, I heard you did a good job...
Each November, we celebrate National ‘Good Nutrition’ Month. At Hammer, we see this as an opportunity to bolster our community’s efforts to eat healthier, to try different recipes with a focus on nutrition, and to share inspiring (and creative!) videos of our homes encouraging each other to eat...
By Danny Ngo, Program Manager, Holdridge Respecting Abilities. Reaching for Opportunities. Realizing Dreams. Hammer’s motto provides the ideology that inspires every department, program, and staff member to offer the best service possible to our diverse population. At the heart of this philosophy...
by Jan Hopper, Program Manager Written on the wall outside the training room at our main building there is a quote from one of the founders of Hammer Residences. “We saw the need and we went ahead and did it.” This simple sentence is so powerful. It must have taken a great deal of bravery and...
by Owen Davison-Edwards As you all know, we as a community are going to be celebrating National Disability Awareness Month throughout October and in light of this, I want to share with you a story about my dear friend Jon Leverentz. Jon is an outgoing and talented individual who lives at...
by Tony Baisley Culture. Now there’s a loaded word. Culture exists all around us, defining us as a country; a state; even when we say “I live in South Minneapolis.” It permeates our social circles and most definitely informs our work environments – for better or worse. Defined as “a way of...
by Suzanne Wanous I know it is WAY too early for this classical holiday song, but the phrase comes to mind while I am shopping. I find myself people-watching while I am out. I love to see the variety of individuals that make up my community. I watch families with young children navigate the toy...
by Tim Janssen “Leadership is not an affair of the head. Leadership is an affair of the heart.” (Kouzes and Posner, 2002, The Leadership Challenge) The idea of leadership is fascinating. In its archaic state, leadership was associated with cumbersome titles and images of omniscient power....
by Jamie Christianson, Communications Associate In this day and age where “liking” something is as easy as clicking a button, carving out a name for yourself on social media is key in staying above the fray. With a growing network of friends and organizations I follow on Facebook and...
by John Estrem We talk everyday about what we call the “Hammer Quality.” Every time I visit a home or an apartment I ask myself the question, “What makes this a quality place?” Quality is one of those elusive terms, like love, in that you know if you have it, but it can be hard to articulate it. I...
by Terriann Matejcek Tell me something I don’t already know… Everybody knows that volunteering is needed by agencies, communities, churches and cities – just to name a few – because funding is always tight and often falls short. There are always jobs or tasks that no one really wants...
by Angela Bernhardt, Director of Major Gifts I’m so pleased to join Hammer Residences as the Director of Major Gifts, a newly-created position in the Development department. As a life-long resident of the Wayzata community and a member of Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, I’ve been familiar with...
by Jessica Bjerk, Training and Education Associate There are some things I do because I have to like paying bills, putting gas in my car, or cleaning out the lint tray in the dryer. Then there are things I do because I like to do them like walking my dog Mr. Fuzz, taking my shoes off after a long...
by Eric Duffert After coming fresh off of an amazing four-month study abroad and internship experience in Florence, Italy, I thought no matter what summer job or internship I ended up landing back in my home state, it would be a massive disappointment by comparison. But then I discovered Hammer....
by Melissa Diamond, Public Affairs Intern It sounds counter-intuitive to say that my work with Hammer has led me around the world, but it’s true. I began volunteering at Hammer in high school and began to work at the Day Program immediately after graduation. Even when I am away at college in...
Coldwell Banker Burnet is pleased to support Hammer’s Reach for Ralph event. As Realtors, we know the importance of “home” and giving back to the community. Working with organizations like Hammer Residences allows us to help make a difference in the communities we serve. Our CEO Joe Reis serves on...
by Jeff Warner, President of Warners’ Stellian Appliance “ In 1954, Jim Warner took a sales job at Stellian’s appliance store on Snelling Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota, owned by Steve and Lillian Farkas (Stellian is the combination of their first names). After many years as a valued...
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