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Karen Kieser

When Karen Kieser had been on short-term mission trips, she felt that God would move her and speak to her heart. She would come back and reflect on “what am I doing right here?”

Karen had volunteered at Midwest Food Bank when it was on the farm, but decided to take a break when they moved to Bloomington. 

Volunteering in the kitchen at Home Sweet Home was something she wanted to do for a long time. Karen waited until her kids were older and she was able to make a commitment. Karen decided to commit herself to one day per week in Home Sweet Home’s kitchen in April of 2012.  When her teens are out of school or on breaks, they love coming with her to help out.

Karen truly finds joy in being able to help in a small way in people’s lives. She enjoys the appreciation that they have for a meal. A lot of people go through the serving line and Karen wonders what brought them to this point. She prays for the clients as they are served. 

Another blessing for Karen is the staff and volunteers in the kitchen. They are great to work with and she enjoys how they interact with each other. She also enjoys getting to work alongside clients, which enables her to get to know them better. When her schedule frees up, Karen would love to add another day of volunteering in the kitchen.

Karen has volunteered over 225 hours since she started.


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Be joyful in HOPE, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayerRomans 12:12