“The absence of judgment helps Community Members build relationships with each other while also fostering self-love.”
Hi everyone! I’ll start by introducing myself. My name is Dalia Rubenstein, and I am Karis Community’s Program Manager 😊. I started my journey at Karis in mid-July 2021 as a Community Coordinator and had the privilege of obtaining the Program Manager position in late October. I will graduate with my Master of Social Work in June 2022. It was a relatively quick transition from Coordinator to Program Manager. Still, when I saw the opening, I couldn’t help but jump on the opportunity to make my temporary position at Karis more permanent, and I am so thankful that I did.
When I first came to Karis, I did not know a place like this existed. Nothing could have prepared me for my first day. I remember walking in, hoping it would be as impressive as what I saw on Karis’s website. I left that evening shocked at how quickly I fell in love with this agency. I knew immediately that there was something extraordinary about Karis.
Six months later, my love of Karis has only increased. The welcoming energy that centers around acceptance, understanding, and patience resonates through the walls like a comforting hug. Karis Community embodies grace, hope, forgiveness, love, safety, perseverance, friendship, and family in a way that encourages Community Members to make a difference in each other’s lives. This model is remarkable. Absence of judgment helps Community Members build relationships with each other while also fostering self-love.
“My eyes light up as I talk about Karis and my passion for the mission.”
I often ask myself, “what is your favorite part of working at Karis?”. This question is simultaneously simple and challenging. I love a lot of aspects of both the agency and the work I’m fortunate to be able to do. However, my answer stays the same every time. My eyes light up as I talk about Karis and my passion for the mission. I love watching people grow. Through check-ins, groups, and conversations around the house, I continually observe small changes that lead to monumental steps of growth. It is truly a gift to watch the Community Members foster a sense of excitement for their lives and the progress they are making.
The key to Karis is the Community Members. Their readiness for change and the amount of effort they put into increasing their quality of life is what makes Karis what it is. Like anything else, you get what you put into it. Karis is unique because it is filled with individuals that truly make up a community. I love seeing how much they help and lean on each other in good times and bad. Their empathy for each other truly warms my heart. Whether we’re having a typical family dinner or the Community is celebrating a holiday meal together, Karis feels like so much more than just a large residence—it’s a home. It’s a place where people cultivate friendships that last long after their Karis journey ends. Karis would not exist or be as unique without the Community Members and the support they show each other.
“Karis feels like so much more than just a large residence—it’s a home. It’s a place where people cultivate friendships that last long after their Karis journey ends. Karis would not exist or be as unique without the Community Members and the support they show each other.”
Being both a full-time student and a full-time Program Manager comes with difficulties. But I have found that my passion for social work and Karis keeps me motivated. Knowing that I have an opportunity to continue my career at Karis after I graduate keeps me confident that everything I’ve been working for and continue to work for is worth it.
I always imagined myself working at a non-profit in the mental health field. I didn’t know a place like Karis existed until I walked through those doors six months ago, and I could not have hoped for a better place—a place where I belong. I hope to foster Karis’ mission with positive additions to the programming. I hope to encourage more feelings of self-worth and self-efficacy across the Community. Although I am still at the beginning of my journey within mental health, I am confident it will be wonderful.
Karis has its simpler days and its more challenging days, but regardless of what happens, I am always thankful that a place like Karis exists. There would be hundreds of Karis’s across the country if it were up to me! I look forward to all that will come throughout my Karis journey and all that I will learn from others.
Thank you for reading!
Dalia Rubenstein, Program Manager
Karis Community
Photo on top the page: Winter at Karis Community.