Minnesota’s group homes and care facilities have been struggling for years to find adequate staff. The low pay rate, which in many cases is set by the legislature, makes it difficult to attract and retain workers who care for Minnesotans who are disabled, older or living with chronic conditions.
At Hammer/NER, which provides housing and supportive services to people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities, there’s often a staff bottleneck at the dinner hour.
“That’s when people we support are coming home from day support programs or their jobs in the community. It’s a very busy time in the homes,” explained Cathy Thoma, director of volunteer resources for Hammer/NER. “Those program managers need that time for personal care for the individuals in the home, which is so critical.”
Hammer/NER reached out to the community requesting help with dinnertime assistance. Now teams of volunteers have stepped up to take meal prep duties off the plates of the tasks that busy staff members must attend to.
Every week, Hammer/NER’s Cooks in the Kitchen program brings small teams of four to six volunteers together to lend their hands. In a three hour shift, the volunteers can brown the hamburger, cook the chicken, and chop the vegetables needed to prepare two nutritious dinners, which adds up to 80 individual meals.
Volunteer teams participating with Cooks in the Kitchen include groups of retired friends and groups from some of Minnesota’s civic-minded businesses that regularly volunteer to support nonprofits and build camaraderie among co-workers.
“It’s a huge part of our culture. We want to focus on helping marginalized groups in the community where we live and work. It’s easy to put our a mission statement that says we are in favor of a more equitable and just society.
"But what does that mean?” said said Sara Volkman, account director at The Lacek Group, a creative marketing agency, which regularly provides volunteers for Cooks in the Kitchen. “It’s super important to have that personal approach to helping the community. Anyone can write a check. But getting in there and getting hands-on opens your heart. You learn more about the people that Hammer/NER are supporting."
The cooked dinner entrees the volunteers prepare are divided into large containers and Central Office staff delivers them to four homes with staffing shortages. Staff members appreciate the food and the sentiment that goes into preparing the meals.
“This lessens the burden on the issues we have at the house and this matters to staff,” said Abdul Qayyumi, program manager in two Hammer/NER Residences. “The people we support look forward to it. They see this as specially made. It was prepared by someone who cares about them, someone is there who values who we are.”
And best of all, Qayyumi said, there are often tasty leftovers to go in residents’ lunchboxes for the next day.
Currently Hammer/NER is seeking more volunteer groups to expand the scope of the dinnertime assistance. Right now the Cooks in the Kitchen program operates in the kitchen of Hammer’s Wayzata headquarters, but the program is looking to expand to the East Metro.
“We hope to start in our White Bear Lake office in September. The stove is in, the equipment has been purchased and now we are looking for volunteers,” said Thoma. “It’s an easy volunteer opportunity. Round up four to six people and come in. We’ve got the groceries, the equipment, a lead volunteer to help you through the process and it only takes about two and a half hours.”