The universe works in mysterious ways. At least it does for Mary Bradley. About five years ago, Mary (holding tray of cookies above) was watching a movie with a lead character who had Down syndrome. Mary had a sudden, strong feeling that she was meant to volunteer with individuals with developmental disabilities. Only she didn’t know how to get started. Then a year ago, she was sorting through the mail at work and came across an invitation to an event from NER. Mary checked out the website, sent an email to inquire about volunteering, and immediately got a response. The rest is history!

Mary has been volunteering with the women at our east metro County Road F home for the past year. She visits with them every other week to do a variety of activities. These include playing games and making arts and crafts. Sometimes they all sit outside by the firepit and just chat. As a former pastry chef, Mary helps guide them while baking seasonal cookies and desserts. The women are very proud of how delicious their baked goods turn out.

Virjean with her first decorated cookie.

One evening, Mary stopped by the house to say hello and was persuaded to stay and watch “Dancing with the Stars.” One of the women, Linda, happens to be a big fan of the show, and now Mary is too! Over the holidays last year, Mary went with the women and staff to see the scary Halloween house next door. Then they went for a ride to see the holiday lights. Whatever they want to do, Mary is there for them. She feels that the best part of volunteering is just getting to be with the women of the County Road F home.

“I love them,” Mary says. “I know it sounds sappy, but I do. We bonded almost instantly and have become good friends.”

Linda’s ready to sample her favorite decorated cookie!

The women at County Road F feel the same way. “She is fun,” “she is a good baker,” “she helps me to cook,” “I like when she plays games with us,” “she likes me and she is kind to us,” and “I am happy when it is a Mary Monday,” are some of the comments we’ve heard.

The home’s Program Manager, Jeanne Ottman, says she appreciates Mary’s time and her wonderful ways with the ladies. “I know she makes each of them feel special,” she says.

When asked what she would say to someone considering volunteering with us, Mary said, “Just do it! The individuals you meet have so much to say and so much love to share.”

Thank you, Mary, for making “Mary Mondays” so special.

The post “Mary Mondays” Mean Friendship & Fun! appeared first on Hammer.

Frank has been a part of our east metro (NER) family for most of his life.

Frank has been a member of our (east metro) NER family most of his life, going back to 1975 when he was 8 years old and moved into our ICF home. This was just two years after Northeast Residence opened its doors in what was a former convent in downtown White Bear Lake. There were eight other people in the home at the time. Frank is one of the original people we’ve cared for. He is also the first person I worked with when I came to NER 35 years ago.

Frank has Down syndrome and has always had poor eyesight and other health issues. He is also nonverbal. Frank has been self-injurious since I have known him. He would thump his temples with his knuckles—so much so that he could create deep sores on his temples and the knuckles of his fingers would become infected quite often. We would sit with him (sometimes two of us on stressful days for him) to soothe him while also putting our hand between his knuckles and temple. Gradually, magazines were placed on his arms so that he could not bend them, slowing him down from self-harming. Eventually, professional arm splints were created to prevent him from seriously harming himself. Later, we put red boxing gloves on his hands and slowly transitioned him to a glove with fingers and then to biker gloves, the fingerless ones, which allow for range of motion.

Frank has always loved holding soft sensory items. I think it fills a sensory need, so he doesn’t hurt himself. He also loves chocolate milk. When he was younger, Frank would take staff by the hand and walk to the kitchen. He would get the milk out of the refrigerator and then stand in front of the cupboard and stomp his foot, which communicated he wanted his Nesquik (had to be chocolate). He would drink the entire glass in one or two gulps. This typically would be followed by a screech of pure joy and a huge smile.

When my daughter, Brion, was little, I’d bring Frank to my house, and he’d help push her in the stroller when we went for walks. One time, when we were still in the convent, I took him for a walk, and it was around rush hour. On our way back (next to Hwy 61), Frank decided to sit down on the sidewalk, and we simply watched traffic for about an hour before he got back up and we walked the two blocks back to the convent. (By the way, Brion has worked at NER for 20 years!)

In the early ’90s, we moved all nine people out of the convent and into a large home in White Bear Lake. Then, Frank moved into a four-person waivered home with three peers from the ICF and later to the Currie home in 2016. Frank was still very mobile but slowing down. However, his eyesight gradually became much worse, which may have contributed to him not wanting to move or walk around. In fact, Frank was becoming more homebound and wasn’t walking a lot.

Several months ago, Frank ended up in the hospital and doctors found a blood clot. He was put on medication and was also deemed nonmobile by his doctor. After he was discharged, Frank would express pain when staff transferred him from his wheelchair to the sofa, toilet, bed, etc. Helping someone transfer when you’re down to one staff person in the home can be difficult when you also have three other people to care for. But this is the reality of the ongoing staffing shortages.

Frank with one of his former caregivers, Rich.

Eventually, Frank wouldn’t transfer to the toilet so would just soil his briefs and staff would then need to transfer him to his bed to change and clean him but that was also painful for Frank. One of our nurses, Brandi, and Megan, Currie’s Program Director, discussed trying physical therapy to strengthen Frank’s leg muscles, making it less painful for him to stand and do pivot transfers. Thankfully, after about six weeks of physical therapy, Frank was able to stand up from a seated position and walk to nearby rooms simply by holding the hand of a staff person. His mood was also improving. Frank’s doctor discontinued the medication as she is no longer concerned about future blood clots at this time.

By September, Frank was walking a lot more throughout the day with staff assistance. He enjoys sitting in front of the window when the sun is shining to feel the warmth on his face or going out on the deck. We are so glad Frank is a member of our NER family. Our goal is to do everything we can to keep him with us as he ages, and his needs continue to grow. After all, Frank is an original and we love him.

The post Frank’s Story appeared first on Hammer.

Michelle and Wade Hartmann both work at Northeast Residence at different locations.

Wade Hartmann was at Target one day, buying supplies for the group home where he worked when his charge card wouldn’t go through. “I had $200 worth on the conveyer belt,” he says, “and I thought, ‘what the heck?’” As he looked around and wondered what he should do he happened to see Michelle Reynolds coming toward him. She worked for another NER home. “We’d never spoken, but I knew who she was,” Wade says. “She was shopping for supplies, too. I explained the situation and asked if she thought I could use her house’s charge card and then we’d figure it out.”

“Well, I suppose,” Michelle said. Afterward, the two walked out of the store together and Wade got up the nerve to ask Michelle out. She declined.

Over the next few months, Wade and Michelle would occasionally run into one another at work functions. “We used to do shared activities at our houses for the individuals we serve,” Michelle says, “like game night, barbecues, or Halloween parties, and it went from there.”

“But it took some time,” Wade says. The two began dating and became engaged about a year later. They married February 11, 2014.“If that charge card had been fine,” Wade says, “we wouldn’t be sitting here together.”

Wade and Michelle Hartmann at their wedding reception hosted by NER.

Today, Michelle is the Program Manager at Hale and Wade is a Lead DSP at Hwy 96. They are just one of many couples who have worked for the organization over the years. Some, like the Hartmanns, met their spouses through work. There also are several cases where multiple family members work for the organization in various roles.

“It’s the family atmosphere,” Michelle says. “We’re a very tight-knit group. We really feel supported. When Wade and I got married, NER hosted a little reception for us with cake, gifts, and all that kind of stuff. They’re just very supportive of us and I think the trust you have within a company can make a big difference in how you do your job.”

Working with people with special needs requires a great deal of mental and physical energy. Add to that the grueling challenges of a pandemic along with staffing shortages. How do the Hartmanns handle it?

“It’s so nice to have a spouse who understands what you do,” Michelle says, “to feel supported and valued in your work. One of the things that helps me be successful is having a spouse in the field who understands that there are times when my phone rings and I find out I need to grab my pillow and go to work and sleep there (to help cover a shift). Having a partner who gets what you do is huge.”

Wade and Michelle at the Walk Run Roll event for NER.

Wade says, “Back in about 2007, we both began managing homes. It was a very difficult job, and we both worked hard over the next several years to become very good at every aspect of it. A huge benefit that we both took advantage of was that since we were in a relationship, we were able to teach each other our strengths and improve each other in our areas of weakness. We were able to bounce ideas off each other. Most tasks that were asked of us we were able to learn together and sometimes complete together. We became competitive with each other in areas like our quality assurance scores and perfect timecards. When you have two people as part of the same company and especially the same position, two heads are definitely better than one.”

The Hartmanns also enjoy volunteering at NER’s various events and fundraising activities. Wade has helped Michelle and the staff at the house she manages, along with the women who live there, throw the annual NER luau picnic for the past 13 years at a park in Oakdale. “We serve roughly 350 people, which includes the people we support, their families, and all of our employees,” Wade says.

“It’s nice when we can volunteer together,” Michelle says. “It makes it more fun when we can do things together.”

Congratulations on your recent wedding anniversary Wade and Michelle. And thank you for all that you do for the individuals we serve.

Michelle with the women supported at Hale House in Oakdale.

Wade with Andy, supported at Hwy 96 Home in White Bear Lake, on a bike ride.

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