ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orlando volunteer is helping children and families build healthier habits — one meal at a time. Karen Madanick, this week’s Everyday Hero, is dedicated to hands-on food education through The Kitchen House, a garden-to-table nonprofit teaching kids how fresh, plant-based food can be both nutritious and delicious.

What You Need To Know

Students grow, prepare, and cook fresh meals straight from an urban farm in Orlando’s College Park neighborhood

The program introduces kids to plant-based eating and encourages them to try new foods

Dedicated volunteers like Karen and her husband Craig help keep the program thriving year after year

From farm to table, children at The Kitchen House are getting real-life experience harvesting vegetables and turning them into healthy meals. Inside the kitchen, young students chop, stir, and taste — often trying foods they’ve never had before.

Karen Madanick and her husband Craig have volunteered with The Kitchen House for just over three years. Karen says once she learned about the organization, getting involved was an easy decision.

“It was love,” Madanick said. “I’m a real foodie, and this was the place for me. It was my community.”

That sense of community is at the heart of the nonprofit’s mission. Karen says she especially enjoys helping kids explore healthier eating habits and watching their reactions as they try new foods.

“This organization is about showing how a plant-based diet can be tasty and very healthy for you,” she said. “I love seeing the kids try new foods — the faces they make and how they share.”

Co-Executive Director Betsy Gwinn says volunteers like Karen and Craig are essential to the program’s success.

“They really love working with the kids, helping them learn about fresh food and prepare recipes,” Gwinn said. “They’ve been a terrific asset.”

Craig Madanick agrees, saying the experience keeps him coming back.

“Coming here is not work,” he said. “It’s something I look forward to because of the people and the experience.”

Karen and Craig say they have no plans of slowing down anytime soon — committed to the kids, the mission, and the community they’ve grown to love.

“I love the people here,” Karen said. “And I love the community here.”