Page 80 - Senior Link Magazine Summer 2026 - Online Magazine

Exceptional
SENIORS
Honoring a
Lifetime of
Service:
Vickie Russell
by Teresa Wilson
ickie Russell will be retiring
this year after more than 35
Vyears of dedicated service to
the Children’s Home of Lubbock. In
truth, her life in childcare began long
before she ever arrived in Lubbock.
Vickie grew up in a group home
in Stephenville, where her parents
served as houseparents. From an
early age, she watched her mother
care for dozens, if not hundreds, of
children with compassion, wisdom,
and love. As she grew older, Vickie
80 Lubbock Senior Link
began helping by watching younger
children, cooking, and assisting with
household responsibilities.
Responsibilities continued to
grow, and Vickie began working
weekends as relief staff for her
parents and other houseparents.
While pursuing her education, she
continued working in direct care,
gaining invaluable experience and
insight into the needs and care of
children and how best to support
them. Those formative years built
the compassionate foundation that
would shape her future work.
Vickie later became a houseparent
with her husband, Jimmy. It was
during that season of life that
she first met Lynn Harms, her
supervisor at the time. Vickie has
always been driven to become the
best she can be, and that pursuit
continued throughout her life.
She earned her bachelor’s degree
in social work from Tarleton State
University and her master’s degree
from the University of Texas at
Arlington. She also became a
Licensed Social Worker in the
state of Texas. In addition, she
obtained licenses as both a Child
Placement Administrator and a
Child-Care Administrator, faithfully
maintaining those credentials
through ongoing training and
professional development.
Vickie transitioned from direct
childcare into case management,
where she deepened her
understanding of the backgrounds
and trauma many children carry. She
began working as a case manager in
Louisiana after Lynn Harms asked
her to join him in Shreveport. In
that role, Vickie did far more than
paperwork. She visited homes,
often in difficult circumstances, to
understand families firsthand and
help them move toward stability.
She also conducted home studies for
families seeking to foster or adopt
children in the system.
In June 1990, Harms again called
Vickie, this time inviting her to
come to Lubbock to begin a foster
care program at the Children’s
Home of Lubbock. She was hired as
a Unit Director and quickly began
developing the foster and adoption
program. Soon afterward, she also
took on the task of opening and
developing the Assessment Center.