My Sister’s Donation

My sister, Karen Hatch, received a diagnosis of a life-threatening illness in August 2020. Under hospice care at her home, Karen stayed up late one night before Christmas talking with me. Karen told me that she wanted to make a donation to a nonprofit, to something that she cared about. And she wanted to learn more about the educational nonprofit. She wanted to hear the stories of the women we’d offered scholarships. 

Karen, left, and Cheryl make mud pies together. Hatch Family Photo. Copyright/All Rights Reserved.

Karen spent a significant portion of her precious time in her final month reflecting on how to share her resources, how to make a difference for women.

Karen was an artist and adventurer. Her friends spoke of her kind heart and bright spirit. In her career, Karen worked as an actor and choreographer. An innovator, she created her own choreography and playlist for fitness dance classes where all were welcomed. After extensive travels in Central and South America, she discovered a love of the qualities and stories of stones and designed unique jewelry pieces. Karen was also an advocate for the homeless and an educator. Fluent in Spanish, she most recently taught English to non-native speakers. Karen also was deeply concerned about human trafficking and had donated her time and money to organizations that helped victims, particularly women and children.

I told Karen about Kaze, a young woman who wanted to continue her studies at the University of Kigali in Rwanda. She wanted to earn a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology.

In December 2020, Karen made a generous donation to Women’s Education Initiative, Inc. Karen died on January 8, 2021. Kazeneza Didacienne will begin her studies in Rwanda in March 2021. Karen’s generosity and kind heart will help Kaze realize her dreams.