by Betsy Teutsch

Karen Rowley, a Chestnut Hiller active in Weavers Way Thursday Dining For Women chapter, is full of surprises: she herself is surprised to be a philanthropist.

A retired nurse, she worked in the ICU while she and her husband Jim were raising their seven kids. (She worked at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s neonatal intensive care unit in the ‘80s and quite a few other venues. Her last job, which she retired from in 2005, was in children’s well-care in Roxborough with Children’s Comprehensive Care.) From a humble Irish Catholic family and raised in parish and schools, she has evolved into a fierce advocate for global women. And she is a venture capitalist — an early backer of BioRealize, her daughter Karen’s biotech company incubated at PennDesign.

Karen’s Kensington family was large; her dad was one of 17 kids. As a student at Bishop McDevitt, Karen and her high school sweetheart Jim were shaped by the social justice and spirit-of-service Catholicism of Dorothy Day along with Pope John XXIII’s Vatican II reforms.

Karen pursued her studies at Germantown School of Nursing when nursing programs were still stand-alone schools. At age 21, she was married to Jim and running an ICU. They settled in West Philly, and she went to work at Penn. “We enjoyed our exposure to international students and faculty and expanding our worldview,” she recalled.

Over the next 11 years they welcomed Monica, Rachel, Alice, Karen, Hannah, Abigail and Peter and moved back to Mt. Airy, then Andorra and ultimately to Chestnut Hill. Instrumental in organizing St. Vincent’s Soup Kitchen in Germantown, they remain close to Brother Al Smith there. Jim and Karen now have 11 grandchildren. One grandson, Marcus, has a special status. His mother, Alice, was one of the first melanoma patients treated with immunotherapy, and Marcus is among the country’ first children born to immunotherapy treatment survivors.

Karen joined Dining For Women (DFW) at the invitation of Debbie Britt, a leader of Abington’s DFW. Karen was profoundly touched by that month’s program. The grant recipients had learned English and written thank you notes to DFW, explaining the ways the DFW-financed program had given them hope and helped them improve their lives. (DFW is a group of over 400 chapters that meet monthly for potluck dinners. Members learn about the monthly grantee and donate to the chosen grassroots global women's empowerment program.)

At that first meeting Karen heard about an upcoming DFW trip to Kenya visiting grant recipients as well as sightseeing. Karen had only traveled abroad once, to Ireland, but had a lifelong dream of seeing Africa. Her daughter, Alice, was in remission from grueling melanoma treatment … it was Karen’s time to embark on an adventure.

That trip cemented Karen’s passion for DFW’s work and also yielded a bonus daughter, Caroline Kashinian. This bright, determined Maasai participant in a DFW-funded school program dreamed of a nursing career. They bonded instantly. Karen had received a scholarship to nursing school, and she was thrilled to help Caroline pursue her goals. Fast forward: Caroline has been admitted to the University of Nairobi’s Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases.

Karen has stepped forward to celebrate Weavers Way Dining For Women’s fifth birthday with a $5,000 matching grant, observing, “Women have always provided family and community sweat equity —working quietly without recognition. I admire this work, and surely I do it myself, but I think it is important for women to stop being shy about public philanthropy and step forward. Let’s face it: giving money commands attention!

“I am pleased to serve as a role model, encouraging other women to share their resources with global women for whom it can have so much impact. We all have a purpose in this world. I did not expect to find myself in a position to be a philanthropist. When you have an opportunity, you should go for it. You get back far more than you give.”

According to Merle Steiner, DFW Regional Leader, Mid-Atlantic Region, “Dining For Women prides itself on our mission to transform the lives of women and girls in the developing world and on our dedicated, active membership.  Karen Rowley is one of these special members who have stepped up to the enormous need in these emerging countries with her extremely generous challenge match. Just think what a meaningful difference this collaborative investment will make in the lives of the people in these struggling communities! Karen inspires us all.”

Dining for Women’s 5th anniversary celebration with desserts and drinks will be held Wednesday, Oct. 25, 7 to 9 p.m., at 614 E. Sedgwick St. For more information, call 216-438-6836, email carapom@gmail.com or visit www.diningforwomen.org.