Hammer Residences in Wayzata care for individuals with developmental disabilities and help them thrive within their communities and discover their passions.
From driving their residents to and from work to helping them develop their talents, Hammer fosters an environment where the abilities of all are respected.
“One of our mission statements is that we assume somebody can do something until they say otherwise,” says Ginger Venable, event coordinator in the development department at Hammer.
Sarah Casey lives in one of Hammer’s area residential homes. While her days are busy working at Opportunity Partners in Hopkins and doing activities with her housemates, her passion is art. Since 2005, Casey has practiced her craft, one-on-one, with Sue Gregor, one of Hammer’s artistic volunteers. “Sue encourages me and offers to do different art things,” Casey says. Casey and Gregor have worked with oils, pastels and acrylic. “The next project is going to be pottery,” Casey says.
Gregor, a retired Wayzata West Middle School art teacher, discovered during her career that students of all abilities gain a lot from being in a classroom setting. “I just think that we all have particular abilities and we can’t ever discount that,” Gregor says.
Through individualized services, volunteers like Gregor help Hammer residents have their voices heard. Whether the passion is for bowling, swimming or visual art, Hammer helps residents pursue what they love and live their lives to the fullest. “My experience with the program is very, very, very, highly four stars,” Casey says proudly.
