Karmel
Member

Karmel Shields has called the Pacific Northwest home for all of her 70 years. Born in Oregon, she moved to Washington in 1983 to attend graduate school in social work. Before retiring in 2018, her career included working for nonprofit organizations, teaching social work courses in higher education, and managing programs for city and county governments. She currently lives in Olympia, Washington, and looks forward to moving into her new home at Sunnyside Village.

Karmel is the proud mother of two adult children and grandmother of two grandchildren. Her son lives in Portland, Oregon, and her daughter and family live in Shoreline, Washington.

Karmel enjoys singing, walking, baking, gardening, and volunteering for causes close to her heart. For the past ten years, she has volunteered at a community kitchen preparing meals for people in need. She also enjoys volunteering at a resale boutique that raises funds for children receiving uncompensated medical care.

In Karmel's words:

"I'm excited for this new adventure of building community from the ground up. I'm a small-town girl at heart with a strong desire to travel and explore new places. I've always been surrounded by close-knit family and lasting friendships. Making new connections and developing new skills brings me great joy."