L’Arche can feel different from many of our fast-paced lives and from other places that provide services to people with disabilities. Find answers to frequently asked questions below. Don’t see the information you need? Email us at info@larche-gwdc.org.
Read our page “Becoming a Core Member” to see if you or your loved one is eligible to live in one of your homes. We offer homes for life, which means we rarely have openings. If you don’t live in northern Virginia or DC, check out the L’Arche USA website to see if there is a L’Arche community near you.
Check out our Get Involved page to see the many ways you can be part of L’Arche!
Core members or core people are the adults with intellectual disabilities who have chosen to make L’Arche their home. They are called core members because they are at the core of our community, and because of our French roots (“cœur” means heart in French). Core people are at the heart of everything we do.
An assistant is a trained caretaker who supports core members, also known as Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). They support core members with daily living tasks such as personal care, preparing food, taking medication, transportation, and much more. They do not do things for core members, they do things with core members, with core members leading assistants in learning and growing as people. Learn more about the assistant role here.
L’Arche, the French word for an ark (as in Noah’s Ark) was the name given to the original L’Arche home in Trosly, France that was founded in 1964.
As our international Charter states, we believe “spirituality and the search for meaning are fundamental to the fullness of life. L’Arche is originally rooted in the Christian Gospel and continues to take root in and be shaped by different traditions, philosophies, and practices. By sharing this journey together and opening ourselves to welcome such diversity, we deepen our own inner life.”
L’Arche GWDC is an interdenominational Christian community, particularly led by the faith & spiritual practices of our core members. We welcome people of all faiths and spiritualities, and no faiths–seeking to support each of us on our individual journeys. Around the world, L’Arche communities embrace various faiths and spiritual and philosophical traditions.
L’Arche Greater Washington, DC is part of the L’Arche International Federation and a member of L’Arche USA. We work with these governing bodies but operate as an independent organization. We have a Board of Directors that oversees our operations as well as an Executive Leadership Team. We are licensed service providers in DC and Virginia.
Approximately 2/3 of our funding comes from DC and Virginia Medicaid for the provision of services for people with disabilities. The other 1/3 is contributed by individuals, foundations, churches, and others. Donations enable our core members to live full, community-based lives and enable us to pay appropriate wages to assistants (DSPs) for the incredibly meaningful work they do every day. If you would like to contribute, go to our donation page.
It takes a lot of effort and patience to start a L’Arche community, usually taking 5 years or more to find space, raise money, become licensed, etc. Contact L’Arche USA if you’re interested in starting a L’Arche community where you live.