Recipe for Success: Creative Partnerships
There is an old folk tale about a poor traveler who
arrives at a village with nothing but an empty
pot. He fills the pot with water and a stone,
preparing to make a meager soup. A passing
villager sees what the man is doing and offers
him some herbs; another villager contributes
a potato. One by one, the other villagers add
a little of this and a little of that to the pot,
and soon, a hearty meal is enjoyed by all.
This tale is a marvelous illustration of the benefits
we enjoy when we find creative ways to partner
with others in the pursuit of a common goal.
Hearts & Hammers has a strong tradition of
partnerships with area businesses, professional
associations, and churches who help get the job
done on Program Days. But there are other ways
that partnerships benefit Hearts & Hammers as
well, including, recently, the ways in which we
are able to identify homeowners in need.
In 2008, Hearts & Hammers embarked on a
partnership with the West 7th Community
Center in St. Paul. Paul Sweeney was a volunteer
with the Center in its early days; he recalls that
back then, there was a Community Center
program through which neighborhood teens
helped elderly residents with lawn care they
could no longer manage themselves.
Twenty-five years after that first experience,
Sweeney returned to West 7th two years ago to
take on the position of Senior Care Manager for
the Community Center. Today, among its many
available programs, West 7th now provides home
services for elderly residents; these programs allow
seniors to remain independently in their homes, a
vital consideration for this particular community.
WORKS OF HEART
The Hearts & Hammers–Twin Cities Newsletter
SPRING 2009
IN THIS ISSUE
• West 7th Transformed
• A Message from the Executive Director
• Board Update
• Spotlight on Mike Moore
The West 7th neighborhood is an old
neighborhood which has, as Sweeney says,
“a wonderful character all its own.” It is home
to a large population of elderly residents, as well
as aging houses. While the spirit of this closeknit neighborhood is still vibrant and strong, the
structures had been slowly succumbing to the
multiple stresses of age, financial hardships, and
physical disability. The dilapidated states of some
seniors’ homes was presenting such hardship that
aging homeowners were, in effect, becoming
housebound.
One story Mr. Sweeney shared was of an elderly,
wheelchair-bound resident whose doorway was
too narrow to allow her wheelchair to pass,
and whose home had no ramp for wheelchair
access. The difficulty in just exiting and entering
the home ultimately kept her from leaving
except for doctors’ appointments, and only
then with much assistance from her daughter.
Other homeowners were receiving regular fines
from the city for maintenance
issues that they were no longer
able to address themselves, a
financial burden this community
of fixed-income residents could
little sustain and still hope
to remain in their homes.
Mr. Sweeney, in his role as Senior
c onti nued i ns i de ri ght…
Hearts &
Hammers works
to preserve a
neighborhood’s
most essential
asset — the
people who
have woven
their lives into
a community
Our volunteers
have fun while
they make a
difference in
people’s lives
BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
Laura Bistodeau
Touching Lives
Fine Associates
Chris Choy Bush
Target Corporation
Katie Dean
Accenture
Keith Dunn
Speedway
SuperAmerica
Jeremy Edelston
Target Corporation
Michael Fenner
Target Corporation
Brad Harvey
Kraus-Anderson
Construction
Mike Hutson
Heart & Hammers
John Krenn
Gray Plant Mooty
Christy Mackaman
Colliers Turley Martin
Tucker
Bill Marshall
Egan Companies
Stephanie Moen
Capella University
Mike Moore
Standard Insurance
Steven Olinger
Notre Dame Alumni
Club of MN
Patricia Stahl
Macy’s
Eric Stendahl
Sage Homes
Karl Weissenborn
Mike Hutson
Executive
Director
When I started working for
Hearts & Hammers in 2004,
my original motivation was to
help people in the community.
Having the opportunity to work
with deserving homeowners
and being able to provide
them with a service they
couldn’t otherwise provide
for themselves was, initially,
what I found most appealing.
What I have learned along the way is that, while
I do enjoy working with homeowners, it is also
gratifying to know that I have played a significant
role in creating a meaningful volunteer experience
for so many people. My work with volunteers is
guided by my philosophy that a positive experience
will motivate them to be involved with Hearts
& Hammers again in the future. But even if it
does not, on some level, I am confident that their
positive experience with us will inspire them to
get involved with other worthwhile organizations
and that as a result, we will all contribute to
making our community a better place.
Maybe that sounds like I have a lofty opinion
of my role, but if I can motivate someone,
even in a small way, or provide someone with
a positive experience that makes them feel
like they’ve made a difference in someone
else’s life, then I have done my job.
HNTB
3M
ADVISORY
BOARD
Bruce Engelsma
Kraus-Anderson
Construction
Tom Enlow
Enlow Companies
C.R. Hackworthy
BrightKEYS Homes
Bob Huber
Leonard Street
and Deinard
Jim Malecha
Egan Companies
Tricia Matzek
Moore Costello
& Hart
Bob Walker
Walker & Associates
Tom Zessman
Sales Tax Solutions
Board Update
On December 31, 2008, the Hearts & Hammers
Board of Directors bid a fond farewell to Paul
Anderson, Krishnan Margabandu, Julie Ofstedal,
Greg Simbeck, and Bruce Smith. Bruce and Paul
had completed their respective three-year terms of
service, while Krishnan, Julie and Greg elected not
to return in 2009 in order to pursue other personal
interests. We at Hearts & Hammers extend our deep
appreciation for their time and dedication and
wish them all the best in their future endeavors.
Chris Choy Bush of Target, Jeremy Edelston of
Target, Christy Mackaman of Colliers Turley
Martin Tucker, and Eric Stendahl of Sage Homes,
Inc., were approved as Directors on January 31,
2009. Chris and Jeremy will serve on the Home
Coordination Committee, Christy will serve on the
Development Committee, and Eric will serve as
Treasurer for the organization. Congratulations,
and welcome to the Board of Directors!
Design by Mark Fox — www.markfox.us
Patrick
Zimmerman
… c ont inue d f r o m fro n t p a g e
Care Manager, heard dozens of such stories, but he
had also heard of Hearts & Hammers’ work helping
desperate homeowners in other neighborhoods,
and so the idea for a partnership was born.
Given the Community Center’s central role
as the heart of West 7th’s senior community,
and Hearts & Hammer’s efforts to help elderly
homeowners in need, the partnership was a natural
development, and the decision was ultimately
made to rehabilitate not just one West 7th home,
but 17 homes throughout the neighborhood and
divided between the two 2008 Program Days.
The impact to the neighborhood as a whole
has been tremendous, what Sweeney calls
a “transforming experience”. Fresh coats of
paint, repaired windows, tidy landscaping,
wheelchair ramps, and even small porches
are just some of the improvements volunteers
completed for this grateful neighborhood.
[the seniors] to be part of the community again”.
Finding new and creative partnerships, such as
the one with West 7th, is just another ingredient
that Hearts & Hammers brings to the recipe for
each successful Program Day. Looking ahead to
2009, we are entering into a new partnership with
Peace Foundation and North Memorial Hospital
to identify 25 homes in North Minneapolis for
this Fall. These types of partnerships provide vital
support to Hearts & Hammers, and help all of
us to achieve our shared goal of safer, healthier,
and happier, communities in the Twin Cities area.
Everyone brings something to the pot, and the
results are deeply satisfying.
“It’s a miracle
program.
Their hearts
are in the
right places,
and their
hammers,
too!”
After just one
day, this house
in West 7th is
renewed and
bright. It will
be a proud
home for
years to
come!
“It’s a miracle program; I can’t say enough about
them. Their hearts are in the right places, and
their hammers, too,” says Mary Ellen Schaick,
a participant in this year’s program. For her
and many others, the Hearts & Hammers-West
7th partnership “changed our lives; we can be
independent now.” Sweeney agrees: “It allows
H&H Spotlight on Mike Moore
Every month, The Leo Award is given to an
employee of The Standard Insurance who has
demonstrated an outstanding commitment to their
community through volunteerism. Winners receive
a small token of appreciation honoring their work
and are eligible for the annual Founder’s Award
in which a donation of $1,000 is given to the
charity they support. Mike Moore, the Vice Chair
of Hearts & Hammers’ Board of Directors, was
presented with The Leo Award in September 2008.
In his role as Vice Chair, Mike utilizes his
formidable business acumen and organizational
skills to help support Hearts & Hammers’
efforts to provide exterior painting and
home improvement assistance to seniors
and individuals with physical disabilities.
“I’ve been involved [with Hearts & Hammers]
for four years now,” Mike said. “I liked being a
team captain and have no problem organizing
volunteers, but I was concerned about my lack of
construction knowledge since my real strengths are
in helping to coordinate this whole undertaking.”
Mike focuses most of his efforts on mobilizing
volunteers and the community. His work
supports the organization’s mission at many
levels, including finding qualified homeowners,
building relationships with people in other
community organizations, fundraising, and, of
course, grabbing a paintbrush when necessary.
Mike first became involved with the group
because of a connection dating back to his college
days at Notre Dame. The founder of Hearts &
Hammers is also an alumnus; Mike started working
with the nonprofit in 2004 as
part of the Notre Dame Club
and found the experience
rewarding and meaningful.
Building a better community
doesn’t always require
construction skills, but it
does require a vision. That’s
something Mike Moore has
been able to help bring to
the underserved residents
of the Twin Cities.
Mike pauses for
a photo with
Minneapolis
Mayor R.T.
Rybak
H&H Highlights
Hearts & Hammers — Twin Cities
2008 Accomplishments
•Assisted 35 deserving Twin Cities’ homeowners
•Completed 17 projects in St. Paul’s West 7th neighborhood
•Coordinated over 1,200 volunteers from 38 organizations
•Touched lives like these —
“My home badly needed
some loving care, care that I
simply could not afford on my
own. The Hearts & Hammers
volunteers were a tremendous
help. I never dreamed that so
much would be accomplished.
I am so thankful for this
wonderful opportunity.”
Thanks to Our
2008 Contributors
INDIVIDUAL DONORS
William Bond
William Calpus
Susan & Tom Enlow
Michael Flanagan
Tammie Follett
Cynthia Harvey
Gregory & Sally
Harvey
Ruth Harvey
Scot & Lissa Harvey
Diane Hatfield
Charlie & Judy Hilger
Carol Hoppe
Bob Huber &
Christine Solso
Beth & Mike Hutson
Michael Karas
Eric & Sheryl Leill
Krishnan
Margabandhu
Tricia & Brian
Matzek
Stephanie Moen
Patricia Paul
B.J. Ryan
Cecilia Ryan
Sheila Sholl
Bruce Smith
Bob & Sheryl Walker
Alvin Waschke
IN-KIND DONORS
— Adelheid Stephanyshyn
“There were so many places
I’ve been unable to take my
mother, as I needed to arrange
for two helpers to get her out
of the house. Our new ramp
is just wonderful. It offers us
a level of independence we
haven’t had in many years.”
— Patricia Penderitsch
“Many senior homeowners
cannot afford the upkeep of
their homes. Some senior
clients of the Community Center
have even faced eviction notices
due to needed home upgrades.
The Hearts & Hammers initiative
was a godsend to the West
Seventh neighborhood.”
— Paul Sweeney
P.O. Box 26124 • St. Louis Park, MN 55426 • (952) 922-2451
heartsandhammers.org • info@heartsandhammers.org
Beaupre Aerial
Equipment
Biff’s Inc.
GEM Minneapolis
Julia Tagliere
LePage & Sons
Life Touch
MMC
Macy’s Design
Cuisine Catering
Mark Fox
Miller Architects &
Builders
On Site Sanitation
S & S Tree Specialists
Sage Homes
SCICOM
Shamrock Disposal
Sigrid Redpath
Sir Speedy —
Harmon Place
Swanson &
Youngdale
Tim Sigler Band
Tubs Inc.
UPS Store —
St. Louis Park
Valspar
VEIT Disposal
Systems
Veolia Environmental
Services
Viking Electric
Waste Management
Xcel Energy
HOME SPONSORS
3M Corporation
— AAMD
— IATD
— Corp R&D/RPO
The Alaris Group
Ameriprise Financial
BrightKEYS Homes
BWBR Architects
Capella University
Colliers Turley Martin
Tucker
DJ Kranz
Dunham Associates
Egan Companies
Engineering America
ESG Architects
Felhaber Larson
Fenlon & Vogt
Good Samaritan
United Methodist
Church
Gray Plant Mooty
HGA Architects and
Engineers
IREM
JE Dunn
Construction
Kraus-Anderson
Construction
Leffert Jay &
Polglaze
Leonard Street &
Deinard
Life Time Fitness /
FCA Construction
Life Touch
Loucks Associates
Minnesota
Association of
Corporate Counsel
Mortenson
Construction
NAWIC
North Memorial
Hospital
Notre Dame Alumni
Club of MN
Parker Hannifin
Premier Banks
Questions &
Solutions
Engineering
RBA Consulting
Sigma Lambda Chi
— UW Stout
Speedway
SuperAmerica
Target Corporation
— Diversity
Business
Councils
— HR Operations
— Property
Development
— Target
Commercial
Interiors
Thomson Reuters
Walker & Associates
Home Sponsors
provide volunteer
teams and
funding for the
homes we restore.