Karen Dawson

Community Betterment

For more than five decades, Karen Dawson has strengthened her community through education, service and quiet determination. Her career began in the classroom, where her belief that students should be inspired to serve others earned her the USA Today All-American Teacher Award. Retirement only expanded her volunteer efforts.

Karen served as president of Habitat for Humanity and, in 2010, co-founded The Harvest Table to provide a warm Saturday night meal that has grown into a vital outreach serving up to 200 people each week. Volunteers now provide meals, clothing, medical assistance and companionship to neighbors often overlooked. The Harvest Table has now served more than 250,000 meals and helped individuals and families move toward stability. Karen’s work reminds people that dignity and compassion can change lives.