Today, we’d like to introduce you to Marlene Russell. Marlene was introduced to us by the brilliant and talented Kristi Porter.
Hi Marlene! We’re so thrilled to have you sharing your story with us today. Maybe we can kick things off by having you introduce yourself to our readers? We’d love to have you go into your story and how you got to where you are today.
In the beginning . . . now that’s the line of a number one bestseller for sure. The birthing of Thyme 4 Friends was unknown to me, but in retrospect, it was when my father retired and began serving nursing homes and long-term care facilities as a volunteer.
At that time, I was a stay-at-home mother of four, thinking that my second career would begin once we became empty nesters. I’d always envisioned working outside the home, doing something fun and fulfilling, much like what motherhood was for me.
I began studies in elementary education right after high school. And when I was just one semester short of graduation, I instead married and traveled with my husband in the Air Force for the next four years. It wasn’t long before our family began to grow and I became a stay-at-home mom. It was then that I enrolled at our local college while the kids were at school. I began by studying psychology and ended with a degree in business management.
It was when our youngest was in high school that my father became a volunteer at the nursing homes. He served three facilities every week for three years when my mother said he needed to take a vacation. Or was it that she needed a vacation? 🙂
So, as a full-time homemaker, I became my father’s sub at the nursing homes. I absolutely fell in love with the residents! One of the facilities later had an opening for an Activity Director–my dream job— and my second career was laid out right before me. For the next 25 years I served in the activities departments of five different facilities, four of which were in the Atlanta area.
I thought this was my second career, and one day I would retire from there when 2020 came in with a vengeance.
The pandemic meant that our day program for seniors and those with special needs would close as of February 12, 2020. Of course, we assumed that we would return within a few months. But by May, that did not seem likely. At that time, we met with our senior community via Zoom once each week, yet it was obvious that this was not enough for their social and mental well-being. I wanted better for them.
Now unemployed but knowing that our seniors needed a social outlet—more so than ever before—we began Thyme 4 Friends. We saw our clients adjusting to the Zoom format and surprisingly doing better than all our original expectations. But that was for just one hour and one day each week.
So, Thyme 4 Friends began offering up to 15 Zoom classes each week! As a start-up company, we decided to offer over a dozen classes, yet expected most would choose perhaps the one class per day subscription or possibly two classes each day at the very most.
Here would come our first wonderful bombshell: Our very first paid subscription was for—you guessed it—all 15 classes!
Because I’ve been running similar programs for 25 years, I had plenty of material. In fact, I was excited for the challenge! And now we continue to experience one amazing and exciting event after another.
As we approach our first anniversary, we are seeing our subscribers, their families, and their caregivers thriving! And in spite of the isolation, uncertainty, and indeed life-threatening times we live in right now, this has given us much hope.
This past year has also presented us, and all agencies who provide care for our seniors, with issues that need to be seen and addressed. As we focus on our senior and special needs community, we need to step up and do an in-depth assessment. It has been reported that seniors are the fastest growing age group in the U.S. and their biggest need is having social outlets.
Thyme 4 Friends strives to be one means of support for this community. And not only for our subscribers and their families, but also for the in home care agencies and caregivers who are a vital part of this system.
Please tell us more about your brand, Thyme 4 Friends.
Thyme 4 Friends is set up to offer socialization, stimulation, and support to our senior and special needs community.
Our aim is to support families as they endeavor to help their loved ones remain at home throughout the aging process. We want assisted living and long-term care facilities to be a last resort for their needs. And we want to offer multiple layers of support before that has to become a consideration for their loved ones.
Our program involves three Zoom classes each weekday at 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m., and 5:30 p.m. We meet our subscribers in the comfort and safety of their homes. We are their invited guests and we trust we will also soon become their new group of friends.
One part of our daily program includes exercise. Now for most of our subscribers this is considered a “four-letter word,” but we keep it simple and fun. We encourage everyone to spend a few minutes throughout their day doing some of the stretching and breathing routines on their own. And we present all these exercises from the comfort and safety of their chairs, and are also always excited to hear them ask questions about a particular exercise. To hear some say that they do the exercises before they get out of bed or at other times throughout their day is always rewarding.
Next, we have time reserved for trivia and games. Here we explore a variety of interests such as music, history, science, geography and more. Our games include Jeopardy, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, and everyone’s favorite, Family Feud. These are activities in which we can share favorite memories as well as explore new topics of interest. Different word games always bring a lot of participation from everyone. And each class almost always ends with a game of challenge bingo. In fact, every once in a while someone will even say, “Is it time for bingo yet?” Our experience has shown that this is a fun activity for most everyone. We have even come to see it as a time when there is a mutual feeling of independence, and it also offers a competitive component to the day. This is a time of accomplishment as well as an opportunity to cheer their friends in a “victory lap” of sorts.
As we look at the varied programs being offered to support seniors living at home, we see much good and needed services being presented. However, one dimension that is not included is a way for them to meet new friends and be socially connected to a community of their peers. Thyme 4 Friends is here to fill that gap.
We have been created for such as time as this. We add activities that will not only support independence and feelings of inclusion, but a program that will combat any signs of isolation or boredom. The gift of seeing the fruits of our program is what keeps us proudly serving.
No one can join our class without seeing the joys of the day and the zest for life that is within the faces, voices, and body movements of our subscribers. This is a generation of people who have faced the challenges of their lives and now exhibit the the love, values, and inclusiveness that have carried them thus far. They are a loving and giving generation that continues to love and give…because that is who they are. They deserve our best. And that is what Thyme 4 Friends is here to deliver.
Kristi Porter has been a great friend to us and I know you’ve got a great relationship as well. Maybe you can tell our audience a bit about Kristi and your experience with them.
Four subjects are forever easy for me to talk about: my lovable children, my amazing grandchildren, my fabulous senior friends, and the one and only Kristi Porter. Have you ever met someone whom you were immediately drawn to? Maybe a few times, you say. If you get to meet Kristi, it will undoubtedly happen to you again.
Through the recommendation of my business partner, I was introduced to Kristi. Within one short visit with her I knew she would do a great job in helping us create our website. After our second visit, I could see that she would not only do a great job, but it would range in the “excellence” department.
She quickly had a grasp of our vision. From the layout of our site to the color selections to the content and the flow of the presentation, she was absolutely amazing. As we began to communicate more, I could easily see why this project would be just what we needed at this moment for Thyme 4 Friends. Kristi was not only producing the website for now, but she also had visions for its growth in the future. Things I could not foresee or begin to anticipate were already in her playbook.
I learned that Kristi has a “superpower.” She has a vision for helping nonprofits and social impact companies. Even after the completion of our project she continues to offer advice, recommendations, and growth opportunities for us. Through her website I am always learning new and improved ways to foster the growth of myself and my company. She has a great talent and an even greater focus for the growth and prosperity of our community.
Website: www.thyme4friends.com
