Employee of the Month – Karen Riley

Karen gives back to the community year-round

Tis the season of giving, and we are reminded that the holidays can be particularly difficult for families struggling to put food on the table and gifts under the tree. A question Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. asked comes to mind. “What are you doing for others?” During the holiday season, many Marylanders open their hearts and wallets to those in need.

Need, however, is not a seasonal problem, and there are those among us who inspire with their generous year-round giving. One of those people is Karen Riley, and she is our December Employee of the Month.

Originally from Trinidad, Karen has lived in the United States for 28 years. She has been with DGS for 15 of those years, working as an accountant in the Fiscal Division. Her supervisor, Garry Slatnick, said of her, “I’ve never seen her get upset about anything.” He added, “I lean on her quite a bit.”

Karen is also a single parent, a Sunday school teacher and a foster parent.

Her 25-year old daughter is working on her PhD at the University of Maryland, having graduated from the Johns Hopkins dental program. Her success is a testament to Karen’s unwavering love and support that gave her daughter the confidence and determination to succeed.

Karen’s love and support extends beyond family. She made up her mind some years ago to become a foster parent as soon as she was able to buy a home. That dream came true two years ago, and since then she has fostered five children. A respite care foster parent, Karen opens her home to children while their parents work on finding a stable job or a permanent home. Currently, she is fostering an eight-year old girl while the child’s mother finds a place to live.

There is also the story of the homeless person to whom she recently gave a pair of shoes “It was raining and she was standing near the garage entrance in her soaking socks holding her torn shoes and asking for a pair of dry socks.” Karen heard the request and told her that if she would wait, she’d go to her office and bring back a pair of shoes. They were her tennis shoes, which she kept in the office for walks during lunch.

On December 18^th, Karen will host her church’s holiday celebration for 15 children under the age of 10. She and her foster child have been wrapping presents in preparation.

Asked what inspires her to give back to the community, Karen explained that she came from a poor family. Even though they had very little, her mother always gave to others in greater need. “We are all called to be servants,” Karen said.

Thank you, Karen, for your generous heart and life-long spirit of giving. You are our Employee of the Month for December.