Help Anchor our Community of Belonging
Hello L’Arche NC Friends –
In 2011, a small group came together with a dream: to build a community where people with and without intellectual disabilities could share life, friendship, and belonging.
That dream became L’Arche North Carolina. Fourteen years later, we’ve opened our first home in Durham and continue to host vibrant gatherings across the Triangle where we witness how belonging transforms lives. Whether I’m at the house or a Together event, I see relationships forming that defy isolation.
L’Arche GWDC recently released a beautiful short film, On Loneliness, reminding us that the antidote to loneliness is friendship across differences. I can’t watch it without getting goosebumps—because it reflects what we see and experience at L’Arche NC every day.
This July, in honor of our first meeting L’Arche NC meeting, we’re inviting 20 new monthly donors—our L’Arche Anchors—to join us. We need your help and commitment to continue this work of building belonging.
Would you consider committing to giving $10 a month?
$10/month ($120/year) may seem small—but in community, small gifts multiply. Here’s what it can do:
- Provides craft materials for friends at our monthly Craft Together gathering—supporting inclusive art and expression.
- Purchases birthday or celebration supplies, helping ensure every person is honored and celebrated.
- Buys ingredients for baking days, where Core Members and volunteers connect through the joy of making something together.
Can you commit to $100 a month?
$100/month ($1,200/year) helps create spaces of belonging in big ways.
- Covers the cost of an entire Community Dinner—feeding 15–20 people and offering a warm, welcoming space where friendships grow.
- Funds accessible transportation, ensuring Core Members can access medical appointments, work, and social activities.
- Helps us welcome new Core Members, Assistants, and volunteers, providing orientation materials, training, and the intentional support needed for deep, mutual relationships to flourish.
Or, sign up for whatever monthly gift feels right to you to help L’Arche NC build a community where strangers become friends and joy is abundant.
To become a L’Arche Anchor and commit to a monthly gift, click the button below to make a donation. On the donation page, select the box, “Show my support by making this a recurring donation.”
In Community,
Laura Steed Lorino
Executive Director & Community Leader
P.S. Please take a few minutes out of your day and watch the video below from L’Arche GWDC. If you’ve never been to L’Arche or experienced the belonging we often talk about at L’Arche, you’ll see and hear it in action.
Rooted in Community: Recap of the Plant Sale Fundraiser
Earlier this month, we had a Plant Sale Fundraiser. With your help, we raised over $2,000 for our growing community of people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. At L'Arche, we celebrate the gifts of all persons! One of many things that I loved about the Plant Sale was that this fundraiser was possible because individuals with skills in gardening shared their gifts and resources with L'Arche NC. We are beyond grateful to Eric Hastie and Heather Bixler for providing the beautiful plants for this special fundraiser. With their generosity, 100% of plant sale funds were donated to L'Arche NC. L'Arche NC is working to establish an accessible and inclusive home in the Triangle area for people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Did you know that 70% of people with I/DD in North Carolina are in need of affordable housing? Our community will be more than just a place to live; it will be a home where meals are shared, friendships are formed, and quality care abounds. Check out this video from L'Arche GWDC to learn how L'Arche is an extraordinary community. Do you have a gift read more
Beverly’s Visit To L’Arche GWDC
“You had to be there.” This is the phrase we say when words cannot fully express an experience. This week I had my first L’Arche home experience. If I could, I would just say “You had to be there,” but that wouldn’t make for a very interesting read, so I’ll do my best. If you have randomly come across this blog you might not know what a L’Arche home is. L’Arche is a community where people with and without disabilities live together and support one another in community. When we first arrived at the L’Arche GWDC home in Arlington, Virginia, we parked in a beautiful neighborhood where I could immediately imagine myself spending a lot of time outside, walking down the sidewalks, and exploring the neighborhood. As we entered the house, we were greeted by a person named Alice, who briefly showed us the living room and then quickly showed us where to find snacks and drinks and told us to help ourselves during our stay. This first impression ended up being a brief example of how I felt the rest of our visit. I felt “At read more
Michael’s Story
Last summer, I had the opportunity to visit L’Arche Greater Washington D.C. (GWDC). It was wonderful to visit one of their four homes and meet the community members. One Core Member who I had the pleasure of meeting was Michael. As we were finishing up lunch, one of his friends stopped by to join him on his daily visit to McDonald's for his three cups of coffee (yes, three!). Rain, snow, or shine, he goes to McD’s for this daily treat. I learned that Michael has been doing this for decades, and if you’re selected to go with him to McDonald’s, you are one lucky friend! Everyone knows him, and on his journey around the block to the local golden arches, he is greeted by friends and neighbors along the sidewalk and at the restaurant. During my visit, I also learned that each Tuesday, L’Arche GWDC holds a weekly celebration dinner. This is an opportunity to gather as a wider community and celebrate the big (and small!) things, such as birthdays, a new haircut, holidays, and, of course, anniversaries. This year, Michael is celebrating his 40th year read more
Grateful for Partner Congregations
It's always a delight to partner with local congregations and organizations to share in the joy of inclusive and accessible community gatherings. Earlier this month, we joined Community United Church of Christ (CUCC) in Raleigh for worship. During this Lenten season, CUCC has focused on Creation Justice. Friends of L'Arche NC shared the scripture passage (John 9), and Tatum Tricarico, our Disability Theology & Justice Intern, preached a very moving and thoughtful sermon on Disability Justice. We are grateful for this opportunity to be in community again with this partner congregation to sing, pray, learn, and dance together. To view and listen to this worship service, including Tatum's amazing sermon, click HERE and select March 19. It was just one year ago, that we joined with CUCC for a very fun event to celebrate Mr. Rogers' birthday. It was an unforgettable community gathering as we made puppets, participated in hilarious improv skits, and enjoyed music and cake. Joy and love are always present at CUCC as soon as you enter their church. Our Board Chair, Stuart Harrell, also shared about L'Arche NC, and the importance of celebrating read more
Our Hearts are Full: Thank You St. Francis of Assisi Church
On Friday, March 17, we gathered with St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Raleigh for the Stations of the Cross: Disability Justice. Our Disability Theology & Justice Intern from Duke Divinity School, Tatum Tricarico, wrote reflections for each station that included joys and sorrows from a Disability perspective in connection to Jesus' journey to the cross. Participants were invited to notice the unique ways that God is at work with and through the Disabled Community. As we traveled through the stations together in solidarity with Disabled people, we prayed to move beyond the Ableism and discrimination that are often present in society. If you missed this gathering, we will offer the Stations of the Cross: Disability Justice again as a virtual gathering on Zoom on April 4 at 7:00pm. Click here for more information. At the gathering, St. Francis presented a $25,000 donation to L’Arche NC to support the establishment of our first residential home in the Triangle area! This donation is half of their three-year pledge to support L’Arche NC and our mission to create an inclusive and dignified community. We are incredibly grateful for the read more
Our New Website
Check out information about our site redesign!
You’re Never The Same
At my first prayer service at L'Arche, a long-term assistant welcomed me and said, "Be careful. L'Arche gets in your blood, and you're never the same." 26 years later, I still affirm that she was right. L'Arche is so much a part of me that it's like it's "in my blood."
Welcome Tatum Tricarico, our new Disability & Theology Intern
This month, we welcomed a Duke Divinity School Intern to L'Arche North Carolina. We are excited to introduce Tatum Tricarico.
