Hammer & NER also has a special fund to pay for home improvements at the 68 living environments the organization manages . “ We have an $ 1,800,000 fundraising goal for 2024 . A significant amount of the money raised will go toward home improvement , so our residents can comfortably age in place and won ’ t have to move one day . Some of the funds will also go toward training our employees , so they can best serve the people we support .”
In the time I ’ ve been involved with VHEDC and the nonprofit community in the White Bear Lake area , I ’ ve been really impressed with the collaboration , and the way organizations step in to fill needs that we are seeing .
- Nate Reed , Fundraising Manager , Hammer & NER
Donating isn ’ t the only way members of the community can help Hammer & NER with the work it does . The organization also has a need for volunteers who are available to spend time one-on-one with people the organization supports and to help out with spring and fall yard cleanups at the various homes .
Chuck Stout , Sales Manager for Coldwell Banker Burnet , says helping out is something people at his company really enjoy doing . They have been involved with Hammer & NER since well before the merger .
“ This past year , we went down to one of the properties in White Bear Township , and we mowed and raked and cleaned the yard to help them out ,” said Stout .
“ We also need help with our ‘ Cooks in the Kitchen ’ program where groups of 4-to-8 people come in and prepare meals for our group homes one day a week . Meals are then packaged up and delivered to our homes to alleviate the stress that our staff feel during evening mealtimes ,” said Reed .
Stout said his company is willing to help out with that task too in 2024 . “ We ’ re looking forward to donating some of our agents ’ time to help with cooking meals for the people living in Hammer & NER housing . We ’ re just looking to help out where we can , and for us being a real estate company , we wanted it to have something to do with housing ,” he said .
For more information about how to get involved with Hammer & NER , go to : Hammer . org / get-involved
Hammer & NER – East Office 2539 County Road E East White Bear Lake , MN 55110 651-765-0217
Hammer & NER – West Office 1909 Wayzata Blvd . Wayzata , MN 55391 952-473-1261
TSE , INC .
Since 1961 , Roseville-based TSE , Inc ., has been serving the community by enriching the lives of the disabled through employment and community connections . In 2023 , the company supported 300 individuals with disabilities who live in the East Metro .
“ In 2023 , we really grew our enrichment program with the help of the ‘ Choices for All ’ grant we received . We had between 30 and 40 percent of the
people in our program participating in volunteer opportunities in our community ,” said Lynne Megan , TSE President and CEO .
Program participants volunteered at several assisted living communities last year . They also helped create goodies bags that were delivered to people served by Meals on Wheels . “ It has really been fun to see the growth for what people are doing . They are really loving the opportunities ,” said Megan .
TSE , Inc . has also seen growth on the employment side of the business . About 150 people with disabilities were placed in jobs in 2023 . Among them , a woman named Sheila who has now been working as a salon assistant at JUTT Salon in St . Paul for 23 years .
“ We also placed a number of employees with disabilities at grocery stores , including Kowalski ’ s Markets , Festival Foods and HyVee ; and at Purrniture , a St . Paul company that makes cat furniture ,” said Megan , who added that she expects 2024 to be a year of continued growth at TSE , Inc .
TSE , Inc . is funded by state and federal tax dollars . The people served by the organization have developmental disabilities that make them eligible for medical assistance and Medicaid .
TSE , Inc . 207 Rice Street Roseville , MN 55113 Phone : 651-489-2595 Hours : Monday – Friday , 8 a . m . – 4 p . m . After Hours Emergency after 4:45 p . m . Phone : 612-834-7307
If changing a ride-time , please call Transportation at 651-209-3474 or email : transportation @ tse-inc . org
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