Narrative Summary
Interview with Karen Wood by Kristin Koko
Before we began the interview, Karen Wood gave me a tour of Kids Against Hunger. She
runs the charity full-time with her husband, so she thought it would be the perfect place to
conduct our interview. Karen pointed out where all the packaging takes place and explained to
me what kind of food goes into the bags that are sent to children in Haiti and Tanzania.
We began the interview by discussing her upbringing. Karen’s mother is Catholic but
doesn’t actively attend church. As a child, Karen attended a Baptist church. She explained her
belief that one’s spiritual journey starts from having a solid foundation as a child. She describes
how she lost her way a couple of times as a teenager. She confessed that during that time she did
not attend church and was not conducting herself in the manner that she should have been.
Eventually, Karen began to try different churches to find where she belonged. She attended
services of Assemblies of God churches, Catholic churches, and a few other Christian churches.
She noted how supportive her parents were with her finding her own path and religion. Karen
said that her parents “were supportive of me doing anything. Even some things that aren’t good, I
suppose,” she added with a laugh. Karen said she found her way back to her faith because of the
foundation that was instilled in her from childhood.
Karen described the difficulty in her adult years of balancing her career as a manager
while still remaining faithful to her Christian beliefs. At times, she got caught up in what was
going on around her, and she said her world became too small. Her main focus became what she
was dealing with day-to-day; she was living her life as an employee, rather than living for God as
a Christian. Eventually, she found her way back to God because of an illness. Karen said being
ill forced her to slow down and reflect on how she was living her life, and she began to life her
life as a Christian again.
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Today, Karen attends the Vineyard Fellowship Church and strives every day to treat
others the way she would want to be treated. She has come to the realization of the importance of
asking for forgiveness quickly so her mind is clearer, and she can move on.
Another main focus of hers is the care and feeding of children. Karen describes how God
has shown her that there are children in need of help, and he gives her the strength to run Kids
Against Hunger. Along with feeding children, the community service aspect of the charity also
fulfills her Christian duties to humanity. Karen feels great joy from seeing the fruits of her labor
in the transformation of these kids that she is feeding.
When I asked about her opinion on the United States’ charitable contributions, Karen
couldn’t say enough good things. She truly believes that the citizens of the United States do a
phenomenal job of giving to those who are less fortunate. She admired how college students
even contribute, and noted how when she was a student she had the least amount of money of
any other time in her life. She believes the United States is so generous because of the amount of
Christians in the country.
We then went on to discuss the role God plays in her relationships. Karen told me that
God has always played a big role in her marriage. She described how God helps the couple
through the trials they face and keeps them on an even playing field. Karen said that God also
helps with her friendships and her interactions with strangers. She tries to conduct herself
mindfully because she never knows what is going on in anyone else’s life. But she does joke
about how, when it comes to driving, she can never control herself. She admits to being guilty of
road rage.
When it comes to how being a woman affects her religious life, Karen explains that she
does not think there should be a difference between how men and women are treated. She
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doesn’t look at herself as a woman, she just sees herself as another person. This may be partly
because she worked in the trucking industry for a long time.
I asked Karen what advice she would give to someone younger who was struggling with
his or her faith. Once again, she stressed the importance of a solid faith foundation. She would
suggest to anyone that it is important to actively search for your own path, and build new
relationships on your journey.
To finish the interview, Karen reiterated how rewarding Kids Against Hunger has been
for her. She said that she has learned to completely rely on God to show her the right path and to
give her strength when she is lacking.
Missouri State University
Spring 2011
Religious Lives of Ozarks Women