Volunteer of Three Strengths with Grassroots Response: English, Support, and Healing Art

olgastrasburger
Sep 16
4 min read

Karen Medsger, the Face of Grassroots

When Karen joined Grassroots as a volunteer, she already had a long journey behind her: childhood in Ohio, years in Florida, a brave move to Canada “knowing no one,” teaching English as a Second Language for adults, and creating green landscapes among vacant lots. Now, Karen has extensive experience supporting Ukrainians forced to leave their homeland due to the war started by Russia — she teaches English, provides assistance in setting up guest houses, actively helps with the Food Program, and supports Ukrainian women through the Healing Art program.

Childhood and Family

Karen was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. She spent her childhood playing outdoors with her loyal dog in a forest and a creek near her home, and horseback riding on local trails. In high school, she even briefly worked in a veterinarian’s office and once thought of pursuing that career, but life took another path.

She always loved gardening, worked in greenhouses, and had a small gardening business. In downtown Cincinnati, where Karen lived, there were many abandoned, neglected lots, so she began volunteering in community gardens, helping to create small green spaces with neighbours. Today, Karen prefers simply growing many native plants and letting her gardens look natural.

In Ohio, Karen met Bob — her future husband, who was visiting a friend. They first had a long-distance relationship, later a wedding, and then a move to sunny Florida. In eight years, two of their three children were born there.

But Florida’s “eternal heat” and the feeling that it was “not the right community for a family” pushed the couple to search for a new home.

“We wanted to be closer to nature, a place with a healthy environment where we could spend a lot of time in the outdoors “, Karen says.

While they were considering moving west in the U.S., Karen’s mother became ill, and the distance suddenly mattered. Then came Karen’s simple question to her husband: “Aren’t you Canadian?”. Bob said “yes” — and a life-changing plan appeared.

In February 1996, knowing almost no one, the family moved to Kitchener, where Bob found work at an engineering firm. First came a small rented house, a slow circle of acquaintances, then friends, school, and daily routines. Karen later received Canadian citizenship and now cannot imagine another home.

Their children are now grown and live across Canada: the oldest son is a navigator with the Canadian Coast Guard on the west coast (living in Victoria), their daughter lives in Canmore, Alberta, and the youngest son is in Montreal.

“I encourage them to follow their own path,” she says.

Education and Work

Karen’s career began with teaching children with special educational needs in the U.S. In her 20s, she earned a Master’s in Social Work, worked in social services, and after her children were born, focused on family for a time.

Nearing her 50’s she returned to teaching, wanting to combine social work with education. In 2005, she completed an intensive program in Teaching English as a Second Language for Adults.

Since then, she has taught ESL for over 20 years — in large classrooms and small groups, in community centres, libraries, coffee shops, and even at students’ kitchen tables.

At one point, Karen “just sat in the lobby” of the YMCA LINC/ Immigration office and began helping students with conversational English during their lunch break. The administration noticed and she officially became a volunteer in the Canada Connects program — once or twice a week, she gathers small groups, where everyone can get what’s often missing in large classes — attention and practice.

Her teaching approach is simple: English for survival and confidence.

“We start with the basics — name, address, family, asking for help. Then language in themes — transportation, shopping, work, banking — with visuals and repetition. The main thing is independence, realistic goals, and being understandable, not perfect,” says Karen.

Grassroots Response

When Karen heard about Russia’s attack on Ukraine, she was horrified.

“It’s impossible to imagine how the life of a European country changed in a moment and what this war means for every Ukrainian family,” she says.

In summer 2024, she read Stephanie’s interview about Grassroots Response and thought, “Newcomers definitely need English.” She contacted the Grassroots team, spoke with the volunteer coordinator, and simply began teaching English to newly arrived Ukrainians.

Karen visited guest houses in St. Jacobs, Waterloo, and Kitchener, working with small groups — sometimes seven people, sometimes two. When summer break paused classes, Karen’s conversation meetings became a lifeline. And when people found jobs, she quietly rejoiced for them, even if it meant “losing” students.

“Your goal in learning English is to be understood. The rest will come. And we’ll do it together,” Karen says. She adds, “Students often say their English is bad, but I tell them to say, I’m learning English and to just keep practicing however they can— that’s what matters.”

Alongside teaching, Karen has actively supported the Grassroots Food Program — initially providing food to individual guest houses.

Later, she worked on improving processes, budgets, and systems in the Food Program, helping to ensure rational spending and timely supplies. She has also helped with setting up guest houses and providing transportation for various guests’ needs.

The Healing Art program for Ukrainian women also exists thanks in part to Karen — she supports it financially and with her time, buying brushes, pencils, paints, and other materials for therapeutic sessions. She even attends the sessions, meeting and talking with participants.

“Ukrainian women are very strong and determined,” she notes, adding, “and cultural exchange brings us closer.”

Karen had no previous connection to Ukraine, but now she says she is happy to have met so many wonderful people and learned about the culture. Her belief is simple — when people from different countries sit at the same table, fear fades, and humanity remains. She knows how hard it is to start “from scratch” — she saw it in Syrian mothers ten years ago and sees it now in Ukrainian families.