Hammer’s vision of “Respecting Abilities, Reaching for Opportunities, and Realizing Dreams” extends way beyond the people we support. The Hammer culture is an inclusive and welcoming environment for all our employees. We are especially proud that 25% of our employees are Baby Boomers and over the age of 50. This seasoned group brings their life experiences, diverse skills and ideas to Hammer….and they are thriving! These employees (including some of us in the Human Resources Department) have discovered that Hammer is a great fit for people who are over 50 and seeking a new career path or maybe looking for a part-time position.

Some employees have worked at Hammer many years, making an entire career of supporting people with developmental disabilities. Others are people who have worked in other industries and want a new career path or part-time position. Regardless of their situation, the common thread is that they want a position where they can make a difference.

This 50+ age group is also a rich resource for the people Hammer supports that are over the age of 50. Oftentimes these folks truly enjoy having a staff member to connect with, who is a similar age. Someone I used to support at one of the Hammer homes explained: “When someone my age is there, we have more to talk about because we like similar things and have memories from when we were kids. I like talking to [her] when we are together.”

New team members (no matter age) tend to have fresh ideas, experiential knowledge, and are usually just plain happy to help! For our younger employees, employees over the age of 50 bring a great new dynamic to the team, and many bring valuable previous experiences to the table. Hammer’s variety of schedules, both full time and part time, often fit well for people who have other obligations such as time with family, seasonal living situations, or other jobs. The ability to work as little as one-shift a week is enticing for people who seek to make a difference, work in a casual setting and want to stay engaged with a professional community of co-workers.

If you or someone you know is seeking a new opportunity, please direct them to this link: https://www.hammer.org/careers/. There you will find descriptions of our job openings and more information on what it is like to work for Hammer.

Feel free to contact me with any inquiries, or referrals! Thank you for reading, and thank you from all of Hammer for your continued support of our mission.

Katie Binning, 952-345-8555  or email me at kbinning@hammer.org.

The post Baby Boomers Are Sharing, Learning, and Thriving at Hammer Residences! appeared first on Hammer.

I’ve always felt like I’ve grown up at Hammer. Lisbeth Armstrong (our Chief Program Officer) is a close friend of my parents. I was lucky enough to have her and her husband Mark heavily involved in my life. When “Take Your Daughter to Work Day” came along and sitting in my dad’s home office all day sounded boring as all heck, I went with Lisbeth to Hammer. I have fond memories of the old main building and getting to use typewriters with all different colors of paper. I typed up “words of wisdom” and put them in everyone’s mailboxes. I’m sure my seven-year-old self had a lot of wisdom to share.

Years went by and I became too old for “Take Your Daughter to Work Day.” So, I began volunteering at Hammer events and assisting the volunteer department with projects. After my first year at the University of Minnesota Duluth, Lisbeth encouraged me to apply at Hammer. There was a kid’s home opening and they would need daytime staff during summer. I spent those next 4 summers with the kids at Emery, and did a whole lot of growing up! I learned so much from my co-workers and the kids we were supporting.

After graduating, I began working full-time at Hammer. I felt extremely lucky to have a job immediately after graduating. I was excited to keep learning and pursuing opportunities for leadership training. While my friends searched for work and tried to figure out what they wanted to do, I found myself repeating “you could always apply to Hammer, you know…”

My friends all know how much I love Hammer, and many of them have heard my “why I love Hammer and why you should work for them, too” speech more times than they’d like. Even so, amidst my repetitiveness I actually managed to convince some of my dearest friends to come to Hammer. I can’t begin to express how proud I am to see my friends learn and grow at Hammer and thankful to be able to share this experience with them.

Michael Smith, who used to fall asleep in class and beg to copy my notes in college, now manages our Southcrest and Wentworth homes. We continue to compete in the contest of “who is better at everything.” Sean Henderson and I studied abroad together during college. He now serves as Person Centered Technology Manager, one of Hammer’s newest positions, as well as being a Program Manager in Training at Knollway. Marko Kushnir, another friend from college, serves as an Assistant Program Manager at Broadmoor Apartments. Stephen Mueller, a childhood neighbor, serves the men and women at Plymouth Colony Apartments. Logan Willeck, my best friend’s little brother (which pretty much makes him my brother too), recently started at the Emery kid’s home. I had two other friends who worked at Hammer after college who have since gone on to pursue their dreams in other parts of the world.

What are we at now…seven? That’s a pretty good track record. So…have I mentioned you could always apply at Hammer? https://www.hammer.org/careers/

The post “You Could Alway Apply to Hammer, You Know…” appeared first on Hammer.