The median employee tenure for men is 4.2 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
At Gabriel Homes, senior residential counselor Reuben Sidifall bucks the trend of brief tenures.
Moving to Reston from Liberia, Reuben found a gathering with other immigrants from his home country.
A home supervisor from Liberia introduced Reuben to Gabriel Homes. Because of his background in human services, Reuben was hired by the supervisor as a direct support professional.
Twenty-eight years later, Reuben has carried out Gabriel Homes’ mission by empowering our residents to reach their full potential. Staff call him the North Star of Gabriel Homes. The residents have grown to trust Reuben, and Reuben says they are his second family.
Reuben’s story is full of heart, dedication, and a few surprises! Here are four things about Reuben that you may not know:
1. Reuben takes pride in his home country when the world has its eyes on it.
The Olympics and World Cup, for example, expose hundreds of millions of viewers to countries’ cultures and traditions. Reuben looks back fondly on when Liberia was the center of attention. In 1995, the country’s soccer sensation, George Weah, won the prestigious Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. Weah’s star status in the sports world earned him the nickname “King George.” In part thanks to Weah’s goal-scoring success, soccer is the most popular sport in Liberia.
“Sometimes I watch soccer with the residents if there’s a good game on. One of our former residents was a big Liverpool fan. I was happy seeing him smile when they scored.”
2. Reuben overcame his own fears for the residents when he took them on vacations.
He and the residents often drove out of state for past trips to Florida and Wisconsin. On one summer trip, Reuben faced his fear of heights when he flew out of state with the residents.
“He may not like flying, but he cares about the residents’ best interests,” says Pierrein Kardamie, a residential counselor and Reuben’s daughter. “It means a lot to them and me that he’s willing to sacrifice his interests for us.”
3. Like Father, Like Daughter:
Reuben’s wife and Pierrein’s sister worked together at a different organization. At home, dinner conversations often left Reuben and Pierrein feeling left out. They couldn’t connect with the rest of the family over their workdays. When Pierrein joined Gabriel Homes in 2020, she and her father started sharing more about their workdays at family gatherings.
4. Reuben sometimes helps his family prepare dinners.
Bitter leaf soup, a popular Liberian dish, is one of Reuben’s favorite meals. Reuben swears by pairing the soup with fufu, a mashed potato-like starch.
At Gabriel Homes, residents rotate cooking and serving dinner to their housemates each day. Many residents serve delicious meals thanks to Reuben teaching them proper kitchen skills, like using the stove and utensils. One resident, Sean, serves his housemates and powerlifting friends sandwiches and tomato soup for Men’s Night. Reuben lends an extra hand only when Sean asks for help.
