The inviting air of a coffee shop is like entering a whole new world. Here in Hollis, in the very center of town, we have our local coffee fix. The Hollis Dunkin Donuts is a small shop, but welcoming nonetheless. The source of this generous environment? Mrs. Karen Gass, the manager of the store.
Karen Gass was born in 1963, into a family of 8 who loved and cherished her as the youngest child of seven. Throughout her childhood, she had to learn quickly that sharing and compromise would serve her well throughout her life, especially with 6 older siblings who would constantly pick on her, the youngest. She had many experiences during this point in her life that helped her to get to where she is today, “It was just the way I was brought up” says Gass, “You have to treat others the way you want to be treated.”
Gass’s adolescence was full of positive experiences and lessons; she had many friends in her classes, on her sports teams, and in her afterschool clubs, all of which she excelled in. She learned that keeping a positive attitude would help her to meet new people, and to live a happier life. “ I do try to keep a positive attitude, but of course some days are better than others,” says Gass.
Even though her kindness is seen as who she is, there are bad days where those dips in mood really show. Especially when she first became the manager of the Hollis Dunkin Donuts. “I wouldn’t say that I wasn’t welcome, but there are some judgmental people in this town,” says Gass. The fact that she wasn’t from here, and didn’t necessarily grow up here, some people saw her as odd, and judged her before they had even met her.
Becoming manager of Dunkin Donuts was not the original career plan that she had for herself. “I became manager by default!” says Gass. She had randomly gotten asked to fill in and help her friend Karen (the former manager) manage a couple shifts a week. Before she knew it, two shifts turned into four, then to seven, and then she ran the place, “This was not on my bingo card,” says Karen.
Although this is not where she thought she would end up, “All I can really say at the end of the day is that I am very fortunate and thankful for all of the experiences that I have had”. Especially as the town started to accept her, she became more thankful that her attitude towards them had finally started to seem genuine, and was returned by the locals. She gained trust for many, and noticed that they all started to confide in her, the local barista, about their worries, and their families, and even secret information that not even their own mothers know, “It’s like you’re a therapist, people tell you a lot of information,” says Gass.
The coffee shop that Karen Gass manages feels like a home to some. A place where they can come in, talk about their days, and in some cases, get things off of their chest. Karen has made this environment, and wants people to know to “Put yourself in the other person’s shoes, you have no idea what someone else is going through. It could be something small, or it could be something big, but you just have to keep that kind attitude to hopefully try to make their day a little bit better.”.
Her gratitude for the experience shines, and keeps a bright light to brighten the moods of many, no matter how they treat her.
