Disability Pride Month – celebrate all year!
As Disability Pride Month comes to an end, we want to thank you for celebrating with us. This month has highlighted the unique gifts and contributions of individuals with disabilities, and we are grateful for your support.
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.
Opportunities are Blooming!
Opportunities are blooming at L'Arche NC, and we are ready for spring! February was filled with so many new opportunities for friendship! At the beginning of the month, L'Arche NC friends gathered for a "Crafternoon" where we painted jars with thumbprint hearts and made friendship booklets. We had many new friends join us for this gathering. After the event, one parent shared with us that for an hour after the Zoom call their daughter continued to say on her communication device "painting with friends, painting with friends!" We are so grateful to be able to provide these opportunities to connect. In February we also joined with L'Arche Atlanta for our monthly prayer service, "Y'All Belong Here". We have been gathering on the third Wednesday of each month at 2:00pm EST for this event since May 2021! It has been a real blessing to create this recurring sacred space of friends where we often see familiar faces and greet new friends. Last month, as we watched our community members encourage each other and pray for one another, the sense of belonging was visible! We hope you'll join us in read more
Cultivating Inclusive Community
Last year, our Board of Directors created a special task force to review our Mission Statement. Our goal was to evaluate our purpose and intentions. The outcome of this task force was an updated mission statement: L’Arche North Carolina cultivates inclusive communities where people across the spectrum of intellectual and developmental disability identities live and flourish together. For us, this is more than a just a statement to add on our website or business cards. It is a driving force behind everything we do. We have some really big goals for this year, including establishing the first L'Arche community in North Carolina. We can't wait to have a physical space in the Triangle where we can gather together. At the same time, we recognize that each month, we are are creating an inclusive community of friends and neighbors across the Triangle (and beyond) through accessible events and programs. Our hearts are full knowing that we don't have to wait for a physical space in order for L'Arche North Carolina to have a community! As we look to another month of "Zooming" from each of our own homes or read more
