S2E14: What Do You Need? A Conversation with Kim Muench

What Do You Need? A simple question inspires The Turquoise Cart
Program at Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas.


 


In this episode of The Turquoise Table, host Kristin Schell
speaks with Kim Muench, a volunteer program coordinator at Cook
Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. Kim began her Turquoise
Table journey by placing her own Turquoise Table in her front
yard. Unfortunately, this was met with resistance by her
Homeowners Association, and, despite Kim’s efforts to convince
them otherwise, they would not allow her to keep her table in the
front yard. Still determined to create community in her
neighborhood, Kim began a tradition of bringing her Turquoise
Table from the back yard to the front yard one Friday night per
month. Each month, between three and seven families join hers to
play games on the street and socialize. Kim hopes that even more
families will join them, and that her community will continue to
grow.


 


However, bringing out her Turquoise Table once a month wasn’t
enough for Kim. She brought the idea of placing a table at Cook
Children’s Hospital to her boss, who told her it wasn’t feasible.
However, Kim and her boss came up with the idea of turquoise
carts: rolling hospitality carts that go from room to room
serving parents. When children are in the hospital, parents often
forget to take care of themselves. The children receive constant
attention, but parents often lose themselves in the care of their
children. Kim wanted to start The turquoise Cart Project to serve
and uplift these parents. To jumpstart the project, Kim asked all
the parents who had children in the hospital: “what
do you need?” This simple but powerful question
rendered all the information she needed to pursue her idea of the
turquoise carts. 


 


Kim is grateful for the impact the project has already made, and
encourages listeners to create their own Turquoise Table missions
wherever they are. The Turquoise Table calling is not limited to
a front yard picnic table. As Kim has proven, it can be
manifested anywhere that there are people to be served and
community to be created.
  Links/Resources:

 


For full show notes, discussion guide, Suppers for Sharing
recipe, and Conversation Starter, visit
www.theturquoisetable.com/podcast, or join us in our FREE online
community, The Turquoise Table Community.


 


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Connect with Kim Muench:


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