Founded by lifelong best friends and Hamilton residents Jennifer Douglas and Sherry Marsh, the business opened its doors at 20 High St. on May 18.
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Douglas, who started her health care career in 1993 as an independent provider of home care services, also worked in a primary care setting as a rehabilitation nurse and specialized in dementia care, in which she helped design interactive programs for each of her patients. In 2017, she started Awaken to Life Private Duty Nursing.
She joined forces with Marsh as a business partner because of her background and experience gained from a 20-plus year career in the legal field, traits she said will help build Awaken to Life Home Care as an offshoot of her private duty nursing business.
“We both recognize the need for dependable home care,” Marsh said. “We wanted to make a difference in the home care industry by delivering on our promises; to provide our clients with an optimistic, highly motivated, qualified home care team they can count on.”
The pair were referred to the Butler County Small Business Development Center when they first decided to move forward with expanding Douglas' company into a home care agency.
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Marsh said the office space is “very affordable” and she and Douglas “love being in the heart of downtown Hamilton.”
“The Hamilton Mill has also provided us with guidance and tools, helping to incubate and grow our business,” Marsh said.
They’re enjoying being a part of the city’s economic revitalization efforts, Douglas said.
“With all of the new things going on in Hamilton and seeing how it’s growing and just the life that’s coming back, being a part of that expansion is just amazing and we would really like to give back to our community that has made us who we are,” Douglas said.
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Butler County SBDC provides business counseling and assistance to individuals who are either starting or growing their business. Sangmi Kim, the SBDC’s certified business advisor, said she assisted Marsh and Douglas through the start-up process and will continue to work with them as they create jobs and provide home care services in the community.
“When I met Sherry and Jennifer, I was so impressed by their passion and positive attitude,” Kim said. “By starting Awaken To Life Home Care, (they) show they are fully committed to delivering the highest quality and standard of care.”
For more information, including available job opportunities, visit www.awakentolifellc.com.
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