Karis Community: Gracefully Supporting Adults with Mental Illness

 

Conscious Real Estate was founded on the principle of giving. 10% of every home sale or purchase is donated to a charity of our clients’ choice.

 

Karis Community starts with grace.

 

In fact, the word karis means grace in Greek. As a verb, it means to honor to give honor or credit to one’s presence. And, that is just what Karis Community does, since 1976, they have honored adults with mental illness who are choosing to show up and receive help for their struggles through their programming.

 

Life on its own isn’t easy. When you have a chronic illness, whether physical or mental, life can be nearly impossible. It takes a community to help us get out of situations we’ve fallen into. And, it can be really easy to get from one place to another in small slips. Many times when our loved ones get to a place where they need help, we wonder, how did they get there?

 

When one thing goes wrong, the spiral downward is fast.

 

How does it happen? Two metaphors we can relate to are weight and money. To gain weight, it can be pretty easy, we eat our favorite sugary or buttery foods. And, with money, we can spend very, very quickly. How is it that making money and losing weight are so difficult, yet spending money and gaining weight are sooooo easy?

 

Any time you’ve wondered how this person got “here,” just remember the times that you’ve gotten “somewhere” and how easy it was to fall there. It happens quickly. Student loans can engulf us, health problems, Karis Community is there to help people get back up with the support and resources that they need without judgment.

 

If you read the stories of community members at Karis, you’ll find that many of them have suffered with mental illness nearly their entire lives. The message that comes through story after story is fear from past trauma (“I have a very difficult time with conflict. I am still learning that conflict does not have to mean someone is going to get hurt.”) and goals toward self worth (“One thing I have to do is learn to love me, and that will take some time. Here at Karis is the best place to work on it.”)

 

A story from Heather, a Karis resident:

 

I have been suffering from mental illness since adolescence. I have attempted suicide three times and have been hospitalized five times. I have never been able to deal with my childhood abuse and work through it. My mental illness has affected every area of my life and has kept me from having a life. I want to be able to enjoy simple things, like taking a bath, or falling asleep without being afraid, or having someone hug me. I want to be able to have good friendships with people without being scared that they are going to leave me. There is so much to learn, and the process of growing is so slow. I try to give myself as much patience as I give to others. It is a daily struggle.

At Karis I found hope. I found a place where people accept me as I am, care about me, and are glad to see me. It has been a home like I have never known. It took me a long time to adjust, and sometimes I feel like I am still getting adjusted. It is so foreign to live with people who are kind and respectful.

 

I think what I enjoy the most is the time we sit around and visit, enjoying each other’s company. It seems there is always laughter and lively discussion. And when I can’t sleep there is almost always someone else up, too.

 

For now, I try to focus on each day, doing the things I need to do to grow and get better, making good decisions and making the most of my time at Karis. – Heather

 

When all you need is encouragement.

 

Another awesome Karis resident story…. And this one is really, really awesome… Fred!! Fred was a Karis resident who prior to his stay was “warehoused” as he says, in a Capitol Hill boarding house for 13 years. There, he has no motivation for life because everything was done for him: cooking, cleaning, laundry, and medicating.

 

When he was accepted into Karis Community, he was finally able to take ownership of his life. It was everything he needed. It propelled him to even write his own book, which he now receives royalty checks for. He transitioned out of Karis and has his own studio apartment and part-time job and even a sweet romantic relationship that he describes as like “two glowing coals.” They go to church together every Sunday.

 

You can help people like Heather and Fred when you buy or sell a home with Conscious Real Estate.

 

Okay, how does a home purchase change the world?

 

Simple! We create large donations that help nonprofits get a big boost in their programming. With every home buy or sell, Conscious Real Estate agents take 10% of their OWN commission (yes, you spend our money), and pick a nonprofit to which that money goes.

 

So far, we have helped dozens of nonprofits get closer to or exceed their fundraising goals. They are always surprised and grateful for the huge check (it’s literally huge, see below!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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