Brunch was a bunch of fun!
We are overjoyed to share that our first Brunch & Belonging event was an incredible success! The room was packed, and the spirit of community was truly palpable. We were moved by heartfelt stories from the family members of two of our founding Core Members, who spoke about why they chose L’Arche and the positive impact our community has already had on their lives.
Another special highlight was the presentation of our first-ever Spirit of Belonging Award, given to Warrie Evans, III. Warrie has attended an impressive 44 L’Arche events this year, and he exemplifies our mission of radical welcome. At each gathering, Warrie makes everyone feel seen and valued, often by simply asking, “How are you doing?” and listening with genuine care.
Thanks to all who joined and supported us. However, we’re still short of our fundraising goal. The great news is our $30,000 match has been extended – which means any donation you make this week will be doubled! If you haven’t donated yet, there’s still time to make a powerful impact.
Help us continue to grow this beautiful community by giving today. Every gift, no matter the size, brings us closer to our vision.
Click HERE to donate today and get your gift matched!!
One parent at the event shared, “
Sharing about L’Arche
We love visitng local congregations and organizations! Yesterday L'Arche was at Raleigh Mennonite Church. We visited with Liddy Grantland, who graduated from Duke University and now serves the L'Arche GWDC (Greater Washington D.C) community. She delivered a sermon during the service with L'Arche stories, reflections, and wisdom. You can listen to her sermon here. Through Liddy's stories, you can learn more about L'Arche. As she shares about her community, we invite you to consider supporting L'Arche GWDC, but in prayer and gifts. Likewise, as you listen, dream with us about the L'Arche Community we are building here in the Triangle Area. During the service, we also had the opportunity to share some of the gifts of L'Arche North Carolina. Kyla, a regular volunteer and participant of L'Arche NC, shared a poem and Laura provided image description of the slides. It's always a blessing to be in community with local congregations. We'd love to visit you and your religious, nonfaith, or civic group. Please email Laurasl@larchenc.org to plan a L'Arche NC visit to your club or organization.
What a SAILABRATION: a recap of our 2022 breakfast fundraiser
On Saturday, July 23 we held a L'Arche NC SAILABRATION Breakfast at Duke Memorial UMC in Durham. We had pancakes, music, and a mini boat regatta! This gathering celebrated our growing community. It provided an opportunity for friends (new and old) to come together for fun. Thank you to everyone who joined us. It was so much to create and watch the regatta race. Congrats to Kevin for winning the Fastest Boat Award and Dash for winning Best of Show. During our morning together, our Executive Director, Laura Steed Lorino, asked audience members, "What are you celebrating this month? There is always something to celebrate!" Some attendees shared of new jobs, others shared about their anniversary, while others focused on recent accomplishments. At L'Arche, we CELEBRATE! And, we continue to celebrate the community that is growing in the Triangle Area of North Carolina. THANK YOU for being a part of it. Our breakfast also meant that we could share more about the mission and vision of L'Arche NC. We are excited for our future! L'Arche staff, read more
Disability & Pride: Panel Discussion
On Thursday, June 30th, L'Arche NC hosted a panel conversation with L'Arche Tahoma Hope and L'Arche Portland. We were grateful to hear from keynote speaker, ChrisTiana ObeySumner, and panelists Azrael Burton, Deanna Parvin Yadollahi, Rebel Black, and Nicholas Herd. If you missed it, you can watch the recording below! http://youtu.be/L9mkmqvE9mc%20https://youtu.be/L9mkmqvE9mc
L’Arche NC’s Prayer Night with St. Thomas More Catholic Church
On Wednesday, June 8th, we hosted a hybrid L'Arche NC Prayer Night with St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Chapel Hill. We were excited to be able to host most of this service with Spanish translation, and reflected on the theme of "joy" together. One of the songs we sang was "Peace Like A River", led by one of our wonderful volunteers with a gift for music. We added hand motions throughout and encouraged everyone to join in the song however they wanted to express themselves: For a small group activity, everyone had the chance to choose an image from a selection which represented "joy" to them. We were then able to share with each other about the things that give us joy, and reflect on what joy looks like to each of us. Our scripture reading for the evening was also read in both English and Spanish. We reflected on the fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5:22-26: 22 En cambio, el fruto del Espíritu es amor, alegría, paz, paciencia, amabilidad, bondad, fidelidad, 23 humildad y dominio propio. No hay ley que condene estas cosas. 24 Los read more
Reflections on L’Arche NC’s May Musical Showcase
At our May 4th Virtual Musical Showcase, we had participants join us from coast to coast. One of those participants was Chris, a Core Member at L’Arche Wavecrest, in Orange County, California. Chris performed a wonderful rendition of the Disney song “When You Wish Upon A Star”. When asked how he felt about sharing his musical talent, Chris replied “I’ve been practicing my music and learning how to share it. I was proud of what I did.” Chris was one of eight performers who shared their musical gifts and talents that evening. One of our participants, Ricardo, who called in from Atlanta to listen, was blown away by the performances. “I really enjoyed listening to everyone’s musical talents, everyone has their own talents from ukuleles to piano playing… but the thing that I really really enjoyed, besides making new friends, was a version “Maybe” from the musical Annie performed by Mary Evelyn from North Carolina. For the rest of that night and the rest of the weekend I couldn’t get it out of my head! The way she delivered the song was incredible. I don’t know how I’m read more
If you missed the Disability Justice Panel…
If you missed the Disability Justice Panel, you can still watch the recording here! We are grateful to our panelists and poets for contributing so thoughtfully to this educational evening. http://youtu.be/ULNmAHOMx9M
Meet our Disability Justice Conversation Panelists
Join us on April 7th at 6:30pm EST for a panel discussion on Disability Justice. Register in advance here.
Mr. Rogers’ Birthday Celebration with CUCC
On Saturday, March 26th, we gathered with friends, new and familiar, to make puppets, sing songs, reflect on the lessons of Mr. Rogers, and put on some improv puppet shows. This morning spent with Community United Church of Christ in Raleigh was filled with laughter, creativity, and good spirits.
