Sometimes, a simple act of kindness is all it takes to brighten someone’s day! The sheer goodwill of people can be both comforting and humbling. Last Saturday at Black Oaks, one of the individuals living there suggested going to lunch at Lion’s Tap Family Restaurant in Eden Prairie....
By Cathie Wood, Director of Health Services During National Nurses’ Week, I pause to reflect on my nursing career and first year at Hammer. I’m drawn to thoughts of why, more than 20 years ago, I made the decision to work in this profession. I was a DSP in one of the first intermediate care...
Part I By Deb Krug, Direct Support Professional Passionate and creative are the two words that best describe me. I have found that these characteristics serve me well in my work at Hammer. Three years ago, I began working for Hammer as a Direct Support Professional at Lake Place. I was looking for...
By Cate Saracen Peters, Director of Training and Education It’s no coincidence that Hammer’s leadership has always supported providing our family members with an avenue to expand their knowledge and network of connections related to their loved ones. You see, it is deep in our roots as an...
By Jan Hopper, Program Manager Every night, before I go to sleep, I count my blessings. I think there might be a song in there somewhere? Generally, the list includes my good health, good friends and working with people who make me laugh out loud every day. This simple, routine act truly helps me...
By Kim Hansen, Director of Human Resources I came to Hammer 36, yes thirty six, years ago as a student intern. I was fresh out of college with a zest for life, new ideas to share and wanting to make a difference in the world. Well, more than three and a half decades later, my zest isn’t as zesty...
by Rosemary Fish As my friend Tony Baisley, Hammer’s Director of Communication, advises, “Write about what you know.” Okay, since that’s pretty straightforward, I’ll go right to the topic I know best: being the parent of a daughter with special needs. By way of introduction, my daughter Leslie is...
By Jeff Warner, Warner’s Stellian History books omit the names of many important people. Despite their significant impact, their part of the story remains unwritten. In Warners’ Stellian’s story, such a man existed. Gerald Tuckner married dad’s sister Marie. Jerry was a...
By Wendy Paulson, Human Resources Specialist Congratulations Hammer Residences, on being recognized as a Star Tribune Top 100 Workplace for five years in a row! On June 15, the Star Tribune published “Top Workplaces 2014”—a list of the best places to work in Minnesota. Only 14 Minnesota companies...
by Lisbeth Vest Armstrong, Chief Program Officer Did you ever consider the disability field a high risk career option? It’s true. While it is such a fun and fulfilling profession – we get to hang out with, and support, such incredibly sensitive and creative people – there is a price to pay for...
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...
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