If a picture really is worth a thousand words, then Michael Moschogianis has gifted Hammer volumes-worth of text this past year with his wonderful photography. Retired from having his own portrait studio, Michael was looking for a way to make a creative contribution with his photography when he attended a volunteer fair last year at the Mall of America. He went from booth to booth selectively looking for nonprofit organizations that were of interest to him, offering his services and contact information.

Hammer enthusiastically reached out to him, and the rest they say, is history. Over the past year, Michael has taken pictures at more than a dozen Hammer events including: the Annual Meeting, sports banquets, the Family Day Picnic, and Reach for Ralph. He is most comfortable being given complete latitude to find and portray the story to tell, and when you look at his pictures, you immediately see how well he has been able to capture these moments. His photos convey an experience or event with such incredible warmth and tenderness. Though much of this sensibility can be attributed to Michael’s unique vision as a photographer, he also has a special affinity for the Hammer community. Michael had a younger brother Marc, with Down syndrome. He took loving care of his brother in his home until Marc passed away last winter.

Hammer is one of several social service agencies to which Michael donates his services. Among others, he also takes pictures for Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity and the Hopkins Education Foundation. As rewarding as these are, Hammer remains his favorite! “The things that keep me coming back,” he said, “are the employees, the work they do and the people they support. The staff is thirsty, savvy and sharp as a tack.  The work of the organization speaks for itself. And, the individuals served are the purest people on the planet – no guile, no subtext, absolutely a joy to be around!”

Currently, Michael is working with Communication Specialist Devin Harrington to illustrate personal stories of three individuals Hammer supports in independent living, apartment programs. These stories, along with Michael’s photographs, will go in a larger report for the state of Minnesota’s Olmstead Implementation Plan Office. State legislators, industry experts and a federal judge will be just some of the readers of this report due mid-December.

Well-known portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz once said: “Photography is not something you retire from.” Hammer is very much hoping Michael feels the same way. When asked which of his photographs was his all-time favorite, he playfully replied, “The one I’m going to take tomorrow!”

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“After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.”  ― Philip Pullman

Storytelling is as old as human interaction. Stories help us interact and understand each other. They help us grow as individuals on a smaller level, and cultures and societies on a greater level. They are responsible for the formation of religions, governments, partnerships and interpersonal relationships. From cave drawings to scholarly journals, we use stories to learn from one another, to challenge one another, to motivate others and to enact individual and social change.

But stories – no matter how good or important – are lost without storytellers. The storyteller brings perspective and context to the story. The storyteller shows his or her audience why they should care about the story and, more importantly, what action should be taken as a result of the story’s outcome.

At Hammer, we are surrounded by stories. Stories about Hammer’s long, rich history. Stories of the people who work here. Stories of the individuals we serve and the families we work with. We share these stories to inform each other, to further establish and reinforce our values and our mission, and to make sense of our industry and what the future may hold.

Over the last ten years I have enjoyed watching Hammer increasingly get better at telling the wonderful stories about the people we serve and the people we employ. For ninety years, Hammer has established itself an innovative organization that cares and invests in the individuals living and working here. However, true to the “Minnesota Nice” mindset, Hammer has done much of this in a very humble manner. Much of our success in the last decade has helped us not only take pride in our work, but it has helped us become more outgoing and better able to share our stories throughout our industry and beyond.

Chief Program Officer Lisbeth Armstrong and Tom Gillespie at the 2012 ARRM Technology Summit

As a part of that pursuit, I have had the pleasure of becoming one of Hammer’s storytellers. I have spoken on Hammer’s behalf a number of times throughout the last year-and-a-half. Beginning with an ARRM presentation on Hammer’s use of assistive technology and partnership with organizations who are developing technologies. I continued this year with opportunities at the MSSA Annual Training and Conference Expo, Minnesota’s Age & Disabilities Odyssey, Hammer’s Annual Meeting, and will be taking to the podium again at another ARRM-related presentation in the coming months. I have been able to speak about the work we have done in our homes and apartment programs, and how we are using technology to stretch the traditional service models and approaches. In each case, I have shared stories of the wonderful work that Hammer’s DSPs and management have done to shift the paradigm from a readiness model (waiting for an individual to display all skills needed to live independently) to a support-focused model that focuses on the supports an individual needs to live more independently now.

In all cases, I was thrilled to speak about the success we have achieved here at Hammer while at the same time challenging and motivating other providers to pursue similar working models. More importantly though, the messages I shared served as a challenge to other organizations and individuals to foster their own innovative spirits to better serve the individuals they support and to get out and tell their stories. The notion of this sort of competitive collaboration, in my opinion, will bring advances in our industry that have the potential to improve the services and results across our industry.

So as my story comes to a close, I challenge each of you to identify the aspects of your work that you are most proud of. Whether you shout it from the rooftop or tell a friend over coffee, be sure you tell your stories early and often, and challenge others to do the same.

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