Karin Riedel grew up in Germany where she graduated from the University of Heidelberg at the Faculty for Sociological and Behavioral Sciences with a Master’s degree in Pedagogics, Criminology, and Germanistics. Raised in a family deeply rooted in social work and advocacy, Karin has worked in the social services field in the U.S. for the past 14 years. She has worked as a resident advisor in a therapeutic group home, as well as a Habilitation Technician for agencies on the mainland, Kauai, and the Big Island for consumers of all age groups with intellectual and developmental disabilities in community and home settings.
She and her husband now make their home in Keaau on the Island of Hawaii where Karin is enjoying her lifelong dream of having a little farm. Together with individuals with disabilities, she recently started the East Hawaii Self Advocacy Advisory Council (SAAC) as an Advisor promoting self-advocacy for individuals with disabilities in Hawaii. Karin’s concern about Emergency Preparedness on our islands also led her to become a Feeling Safe–Being Safe Facilitator certified by the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Center on Disability Studies (CDS).
Fascinated by the outstanding ability of trained dogs being able to assist and serve humans, she was a member of the Kauai Search and Rescue and the Hawaii State Civil Defense Search & Rescue Canine Unit as a Wilderness and Urban Search Specialist. She is currently volunteering, fostering, and rehabilitating dogs for Dog Rescue organizations, as well as taking care of all of her own animals at home.
