“I love it here! The food is great.” – Eric Arntson, Highland Core Member since 2008
“L’Arche is like a diamond. I have been to many places all over the world. No one has what you have: the depth of forgiveness of yourselves, the depth of compassion for one another, the depth of simplicity, the depth of openness and love and welcome that exists in L’Arche.” – Tim Shriver, chairman and CEO, Special Olympics
“We investigative reporters tend to see our work as macho: ‘I investigated this situation, I reported about it, and I changed it.’ L’Arche was different: I investigated it, I reported about it, and it changed me.” – Katherine Boo, former Investigative Reporter, The Washington Post
“You have no idea what your presence meant to the group of wonderful kids I had this year. You changed minds and touched hearts and helped us see how ‘poor’ we are when we don’t know the gifts of all God’s children. L’Arche came up in thirty out of forty-five final papers, written about in ways that bring my heart to know how neat God’s love is.” – Fr. Ray Kemp, SJ, Professor of Theology, Georgetown University
“The best service project we had ever done — ever. I think it’s because there’s this immediate connection, because everyone’s valued: Your service there meant something.” Katherine Quan, Friend and Service-Ministry Chair at St. Peter’s Church
“This summer confirmed my desire to work with special education for the elderly. My growth this summer was exponential; I learned so much! I loved sharing time with the core members and learning about the values of community, being with and being present. Seeing faith lived out collectively was really powerful for me and reminded me why I’m Catholic. I fell in love with L’Arche and so did my mom!” – Alice Felker, former summer volunteer and current Director of Human Services and Advocacy
“A lot of the philosophy of L’Arche recognizes that we are better together, even if it’s less efficient or not as ‘productive’ as doing things on our own. The experience of living with people in the same house is so intimate that I realized that this is so much more about relationships than I could ever have expected. It was hard to leave knowing that I was leaving friends. At L’Arche, I’m surrounded by so many people who might share 3 words with me in total; I don’t have to prove my worth at L’Arche, it’s just assumed, known.” – Megan Guzman, former employee and life-long friend (now the Community Leader of L’Arche Frederick!)
“We’re a loving family. That’s what I like, and that’s what God wants.” -Charles Clark, GWDC community member and founding Core Family Member of 6th Street House, L’Arche Representative of the USA
“It is an absolute pleasure to work with you and all the folks at L’Arche. Beyond your pleasant and professional manner is a level of dedication to core members that I have rarely seen in the 34 years I have been involved in human services. Thanks for all you do.” – Lincoln Pitts, Director of ALCO Pharmacy
“L’Arche is a work from God.” – Marilyn Hanlon, friend and supporter
“Members of the L’Arche community give witness to what we all should do: show total acceptance of people as they are, with their limits, their strengths, and their gifts.” – Bishop Martin J. Amos, Davenport, Iowa
“From our arrival to our departure, we witnessed the core values of independence, inclusion, self-determination, and productivity. Every individual with a disability was a full partner in every aspect of community living.” – Toni Fisher, former Executive Director for the DC Developmental Disabilities State Planning Council
“This [L’Arche Greater Washington, D.C.] is what de-institutionalization’s dreamers had in mind.” – Katherine Boo at The Washington Post
“It was so special to me to see how dedicated L’Arche is to providing care and comfort to another human being.” – Rosa Harris, Physical Therapist, National Rehabilitation Hospital
“The works done in L’Arche communities are built on love, filled with soulful rewards, and lessons that will last a lifetime.” – Caroline Egan, student, Catholic University of America
“In L’Arche, our mission is shared life. Our mission is to live life in such a way that everyone in our home—those with disabilities and those without disabilities—know that they are worth it, that they are worthy of God’s love. And it doesn’t come from grand gestures, big plans, or meticulous schedules. It comes from the fact that you show up everyday.” – Sarah Ruszkowski, former house leader and current friend and donor
“You won’t find a more beautiful expression of the Kingdom of God than in a L’Arche home.” – Pastor Rob Kazee, Mosaic Church
“In L’Arche, we take journeys together. The destination is always a deeper relationship with each other and a gentler way of living in this world.” – Bob Jacobs, L’Arche community member and friend
“I am honored to spend time sharing my life with my ‘adopted’ family at L’Arche. We cook, eat, pray, play, share stories, and enjoy the goodness within each other. I continue to feel blessed by the uniqueness of each personality.” – Denny Cumber, long-time friend of community and former volunteer
“My favorite moment is when we are sitting on the couch, and for no reason whatsoever Francene grabs my hand and says, “I love you, Pierre.” That moment makes everything that could be going wrong in my life disappear, and I just sit there holding Francene’s hand.” – Pierre Sanders, long-time friend of community
“It is good that no one of us can ever be “good enough.” It is good because our shortcomings, the cracks in the façade we craft for ourselves, leave spaces that God rushes to fill. Life at L’Arche is full of these spaces, and life at L’Arche is full of God’s presence.” – Emily Conron, University of Notre Dame Summer Service Learning Project student
“Learning L’Arche’s history, hearing the wonderful stories as well as meeting your community firsthand was a true gift for the participants in our Institute program. The group continued to speak about how incredibly moved they were by their visit to L’Arche. They rated the visit to L’Arche as among the most worthwhile for their own personal and professional discernment.” – Erik Goldschmidt, Executive Vice-President, FADICA
“What I was really looking for was a place that shared my beliefs and values that every human – no matter their limitations – has a tremendous value and potential. When I was introduced to L’Arche, I felt this immediately.” – Maria Gillen, community member’s sister
“L’Arche is a model for us as a Christian community.” – Rev. Tim Malone, GWDC Board Member
“Every person in a L’Arche home is treated and nurtured and loved as an individual. Every issue, big or small, is important and an opportunity for growth.” – Mary Ann Carmody, RN, BSN, AASECT-Certified Sexuality Educator
“The way L’Arche integrates core people into society breaks down barriers and misimpressions. By doing that they’re changing the world.” – Bill Zavarello, L’Arche neighbor and friend
“The assistants had a profound impact on me and by the end of the summer, I didn’t see their vulnerabilities but rather, that they’re powerful human beings. I realized the power of compassion and how listening can profoundly change things.
My favorite part of the summer was helping a core member achieve his two-year-long goal to play with a pug!” – Eric Sah, summer volunteer at L’Arche
“Sito, together with one of L’Arche’s core members, Fritz, brought us God’s Word in a very profound way. In Fritz’s prayers, and Sito’s sermon, but most especially in their ways of connecting with each other, they opened us to truly seeing the myriad ways we are given as gifts to each other in community.” – Jeanne Marcuse, Church of the Savior
“Sixteen educators, activists, and leaders from youth and civil society organizations worldwide convened at the L’Arche GWDC home in Arlington as part of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). Of all their engagements in Washington, the encounter with Laurie stood out as particularly memorable. Laurie’s warmth and the personal, intimate glimpse into daily life at L’Arche offered a unique perspective on American life that other professional meetings simply could not. Forming valuable public-private connections with organizations like L’Arche is essential for building people-to-people connections that advance global citizen diplomacy and drive social progress.” – Sarah Amin, Office of International Visitors, U.S. Department of State
“My visit to L’Arche was marked by a sense of deep friendship that was evident throughout our entire time with Alfonso and Laurie. Preparing a meal for the community brought me so much joy–it felt just like cooking in my own kitchen for close friends.” – Andrew Batarseh, Pinkson, Public Relations Firm in Annandale, VA
“It is no exaggeration to say that my time at L’Arche Greater Washington, D.C.— first 8 weeks then 2 years of living in community —has shaped every facet of my life since. I’m a wife and a mom, a friend and a daughter, a sister and a neighbor, and every relationship in my life is informed by the love and generosity I experienced at L’Arche.
Life at L’Arche GWDC can sometimes seem idyllic and set apart from the world… but I truly believe that all of us can and should live like L’Arche. L’Arche is a place of unmatched generosity where I was welcomed and invested in and offered grace upon grace as I struggled and grew. It is a place of hospitality, where there is always room for one more at the table. It is a place of great vulnerability, as people who start as strangers choose to share the intimacy of caring for each others’ bodies and spirits. It is a place where people and relationships are truly prioritized. A place of safety and of radical love.
I was transformed in a way that shapes my daily life a decade later and I hope for all my days.
The way of life I found possible at L’Arche remains the standard against which I measure all I do.” – Dr. Yuko Gruber Gibson, former house leader, life-long friend