Jan Hopper, 1st Avenue Assistant Program Manager Every year Christ For People has a Christmas pageant unlike any pageant you have seen. It is not like the typical Christmas program with a couple of angels and a few shepherds along with the rest of the cast. This...
There are people who make a lasting impression on their first impression. If you have met Joe Esposito, you would remember him, and he would have definitely made an impression on you. His famous phrase “Hey, how you doin?” has rung through the central office and many Hammer homes and apartments...
Hammer’s Volunteer of the Month for October is Whitney Blasko. Whitney began volunteering with Heidi eight years ago. She became interested in volunteering at Hammer after meeting Ellen Timmerman-Borer at the Wayzata Chamber of Commerce. Volunteering has always been...
By Hannah Thibodeau, Communication Specialist Halloween has always held a special place in Tony’s heart. Supported by Hammer Residences since 2006, both staff and the other individuals at the apartment program noticed Tony’s love of Halloween right away. When Halloween came around during Tony’s...
By Mark Hansen, Database and Annual Fund Manager This was my second Family Day Picnic I’ve been able to attend. My first was the first year I worked here, so my main focus was just to sit back and watch. This year, I was fortunate enough to have a job with Angela Bernhardt, Director of Major...
By Hannah Thibodeau, Communication Specialist Andy moved to Hammer as a 10-year-old boy in 1978. He lived on the Boys floor, where he created many friendships he still treasures today. As a kid on the Boys floor, Andy enjoyed doing several activities. Each year, the floor would go on a camping...
By Hannah Thibodeau, Communication Specialist Tim Eshelman loves music. When he isn’t working as Hammer’s Director of Environmental Services, you can find him pursuing one of his favorite hobbies, playing in his band, The Elements. Inspired by musical groups such as the Eagles and Doobie Brothers,...
The Volunteer of the Month for August is Andrew Pollock! Andrew became a volunteer with Hammer in March of 2018 after another friend and volunteer recommended us to him. Matched with Ryan at Eden Place, Andrew’s favorite memory so far is taking Ryan to the Minnesota State Fair last...
The Volunteers of the Month for June are Penny Halcomb and Maxwell! Penny was looking for an opportunity to volunteer with her dog, Maxwell, back in 2017. That is when she found Hammer and met Patty at our Zachary home. Over 62 hours of volunteer service later and the three are inseparable....
By Brittney Severson, Program Manager I’m curious, have you ever heard this from a friend, loved one, co-worker or supervisor, “let me know if you need anything”? I bet you have. Maybe during a difficult time in your life, someone reached out to you to let you know they are there to help…”if you...
By Angela Bernhardt, Director of Major Gifts Geritom Medical is a family-owned, independent pharmacy focused on those with special needs, with over 8,000 customers and 1,000 facilities served. Geritom works closely with our nursing team to provide pharmacy and medical supply services to the...
By Angela Bernhardt, Director of Major Gifts The Moms on a Mission Fashion Show and Shopping hosted by LocalTies was a huge success. Owned by Anne Morehouse and Chris Pederson, the monthly publication of LocalTies creates and...
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...
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