Construction Update
Dear L’Arche North Carolina Community,
I hope this post update finds you well. I wanted to provide you with an update on the ongoing renovations at our house.
As with any renovation project, we’ve experienced a mix of wins and challenges along the way. I’m grateful for the work we have accomplished through donations and volunteer work.
One significant setback we faced was the unexpected departure of our first General Contractor. This, unfortunately, delayed the start of our major renovation projects. While we didn’t get to start the accessible bathroom project as early as anticipated, I believe it was a blessing in disguise as we now have a fantastic General Contractor, Revel Build Co.
On a positive note, we recently received some good news from the Durham Neighborhood Improvements Inspector. They agreed that we did not need to cut out larger windows in the basement bedrooms as we initially anticipated. This decision has saved us thousands of dollars. Instead, we will install cubby-storage benches under the windows to allow for safe egress.
However, as we began the renovation, we encountered an unforeseen obstacle: asbestos materials in the house, which were not identified in our initial home inspection. This must be safely removed in the specific areas for the accessible bathroom remodel. Ensuring the safety of our community members and staff is our top priority, so we’re now working with a remediation expert to address this issue effectively. This work will begin on February 12th. While this unexpected discovery means we’ll need to invest more in the renovation process than initially planned, we are committed to completing the remediation thoroughly and safely. I’m proud of the Board of Directors’ decisions to remove asbestos in the house beyond just the renovation areas. While some families may decide to leave ceilings with asbestos in their homes for years and years, we decided for our residents that it was best to fully remediate the affected ceilings. This was not read more
Prayer Nights in 2019
L'Arche North Carolina hosted our first prayer night in May at Duke Memorial United Methodist in Durham. The theme was "New Life." We reflected on the Easter story and decorated bare tree branches with flowers and ribbons to represent the Spring season. In September, we co-hosted a prayer night with St Francis Catholic Church in Raleigh. Over 40 people came to sing, pray and fellowship. Our L'Arche USA manager, Thomas Marquis, gave a short presentation on the structure of L'Arche. We used arts and crafts, movement, and dance to reflect on the Psalms. It was a joyous gathering of friends, old and new! [modula id="576"] Is your church or religious organization interested in co-hosting a prayer night with us? Send us a message!
Today.com: How L’Arche Helps Special Needs Adults Thrive
Not too long ago, Today.com published is great feature about our friends at L'Arche Atlanta. In the video, you'll meet Terry, a resident with intellectual disabilities who is thriving thanks to the L'Arche Atlanta community. L’Arche provides homes and workplaces for people with and without disabilities to work together and form relationships. L'Arche is different though, more than a group home, this piece shows how the center of L'Arche is about being with others in our vulnerability, and loving the beauty of relationships. https://youtu.be/vmSz1zAsFe0 We are working towards establishing a similar community in central North Carolina. Learn more here, come to an event or give to join our journey. You are always welcome to contact us to learn more.
Opinion: A Future Without the Disabled
This week I learned that the first genetically modified children were born. Chinese scientist He Jiankui made the announcement on a video that the “gene surgery” he performed on two embryos resulted in twin newborns who are immune to HIV. As this announcement washes over the news cycle my thoughts turn to my friends with disabilities with whom I shared life in L’Arche Portland, OR. L’Arche is an intentional community rooted in Jesus’ beatitudes, homes that that offer a place for people across the spectrum of disabilities to discover and share the gifts of eating, mourning, celebrating, laughing, and worshipping together. L’Arche began as a movement in France in the 1960s. Our ecumenical communities now spread across the globe from Bethlehem in the West Bank to Belfast in Northern Ireland. Erin, Ben, Marilyn, and Joni were my housemates in L’Arche, “core members” as we call them because they form the center of common life in our home. They have called me out of life of perfection and busyness, from getting ahead and climbing the corporate ladder into slowness, stillness, and into peace. This week I let myself imagine read more
As I Am: Santos and Pipe’s Story
When Santos was born, doctors described him as hemiplegic, epileptic, and intellectually disabled. By the age of 9, Santos described himself as a cowboy, magician, and innovative fisherman. If you can relate to wanting to write your own story, and wanting to not be labelled by others, check out the first chapter of a very long and unremarkable journey.
The Journey, by Boat
L’Arche means “the ark,” and I’ve discovered, in my time here, many of the ways that L’Arche is like a fantastic trip on a boat. In a recent homily I presented at one of our regular community chapel services, I asked everyone to think about a journey on a boat. Many of the responses were (excuse the nautical pun) “deeper” than they were at first glance. This seems to be a common theme at L’Arche. Most of the thoughts shared had to do with the people on the boat with us. Not everyone was happy about being cooped up on a boat in such close quarters for such a long journey. “We’ll have fun—if we don’t all kill each other first!,” one core member told me. My journey, and, I think, the journey of most people who spend time at L’Arche reflects this truth. Those we make relationships with on this “boat” do not always rub us the right way—and my time here at L’Arche was not been perfect. I arrived a basket of nerves, given responsibilities like helping people care for themselves, giving medications, cooking, cleaning, and read more
Letter from L’Arche
Dear Friend, It’s hard to imagine a life fueled by vulnerability. It seems that no place in our world is free from the drive of competition and perfection. But Joni can tell you a different story. Joni contracted encephalitis as a child. The fever led to irreversible brain damage. She was left unable to speak and finds it difficult to physically navigate her world.Because Joni lives in a L’Arche community, the limitations on her body and the way her mind works are part of her gift. When I was an assistant, living in the daily rhythms of life with Joni and the other “core members” of our home, I learned how to slow down. If we rushed through routines or meals Joni could sense my irritation. Like all of us, Joni wants a life where she is seen as beloved, not someone to rush past on my way to better things.L’Arche is a place where attention to gentleness thrives. Since its founding in 1964, L’Arche has steadily grown as a “sign of peace” around the world. From Uganda to Hebron to Northern Ireland, homes that thrive on the mutual gifts read more
