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...
by Lisbeth Vest Armstrong, Chief Program Officer Have you ever caught yourself using the words “client,” “resident,” or “consumer” to refer to a person we serve? I know I have. But, I’ve also come to realize that using such language can inadvertently set us apart from those for whom we so...
By Carli Gonderinger, Hammer Volunteer To me, music is everything. There is something about the way a song can bring you back to a memory you once cherished but has lost its clarity in your mind. Personally, my musical heroes are Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and Johnny Cash. The distinction between...
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 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 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....
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