By Sue Walker, Chief Program Officer James came to Hammer in 1948 when he was 11 years old. He had been living in an institution in Rockford, Illinois where he had a few relatives. They stayed in contact with him throughout the years by sending letters, and gifts on holidays and for his birthday....
Daniel and Diane Kirchoffners’ daughter, Denise, used NER’s respite program and later moved into an NER home. Daniel and Diane served on NER’s Board of Directors from 1991-1996. They share their story here: Denise started using the Northeast Residence respite program when she was 9 years old. That...
In honor of Hammer’s 100th anniversary and NER’s 50th anniversary, we have published Legacies, a special anniversary magazine, celebrating our history, the people we have supported, and those who have made our mission possible all these years. Here is one of the featured stories: Bob...
Watch the Video “When Andy Met Molly” By Aaron Garcia, Program Manager at Lake Place Apartments Andy and Molly first met back in 1981 when they were young kids at summer camp. The camp was discontinued after a few summers and they lost contact with each other. Fast forward to 2008 when...
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....
Bill Bieber and his family have been generous Hammer family members since 1990. With compassion for those we serve and insight about family’s needs, Bill and his family established the Quality of Life Fund in 1993 as a financial resource for the men, women and children with developmental...
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...
by John Estrem We talk everyday about what we call the “Hammer Quality.” Every time I visit a home or an apartment I ask myself the question, “What makes this a quality place?” Quality is one of those elusive terms, like love, in that you know if you have it, but it can be hard to articulate it. I...
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