Changemaker Spotlight: May 2021
Justina Caras
Rising Sun Center for Opportunity, est. 2014
In one sentence, what do you do?
I am the Senior Community Engagement Manager at Rising Sun Center for Opportunity.
What drew you to the work you are doing in Stockton?
After graduating college, I landed a temporary Summer Program Manager position with Rising Sun’s youth program. At the time, I had the privilege of working directly with local youth and conduct community outreach. I was continuously inspired by the youth I worked with and met amazing people in the community. My early experiences with Rising Sun made me realize that I wanted to continue empowering the community I was born and raised in. I was fortunate to land a full-time position in 2019 and have been with the organization since. I’m grateful to work with an organization whose mission and values are aligned with my own.
What inspires you about Stockton?
I’m inspired by the resilience and cultural diversity of Stocktonians. As a Stocktonian, we are faced with constant criticism of our city and people are unaware of the positive things that are happening. With that being said, we have members of our community who are constantly advocating and contributing to local projects that are positively impacting Stockton. Also, I love (and constantly brag about) the diversity that we see throughout the city. It’s amazing to be in a city full of people of different cultures and seeing not only adults but also youth involved in impactful work.
What advice do you have for those looking to make change in Stockton?
Get involved with one of the many community-based organizations (CBOs) that are doing impactful work. I’m honored to be surrounded by so many changemakers who are doing local on-the-ground work to better our community while keeping the community’s voice at the forefront. You can look out for positions that open up with Rising Sun (www.risingsunopp.org) or feel free to reach out so I can connect you with other organizations.
You're an innovator in your field. With the world rapidly changing around us, how are you adapting and what support can Third City Coalition members offer?
This time is extremely interesting, with the pandemic and all. Rising Sun has had to adapt our youth program, which was previously in-person, to a virtual program. We’ve had to pivot quickly and remain resilient. In the next few months, our youth program will be live. Third City Coalition members can support by sharing our youth positions and sharing our green house call resource to the community.