Together, for Access, Inclusion, and Belonging
Many of you may be wondering what the proposed federal spending cuts to Medicaid could mean for individuals with disabilities and for our L’Arche community.
What Do Medicaid Cuts Mean for L’Arche NC?
They put inclusion, dignity, and access at risk—and we need your voice today.
Medicaid isn’t just a line in the budget. For L’Arche North Carolina, it’s over $280,000 in essential funding that helps keep our new home open, staffed, and thriving. Cuts to this support would directly threaten the services that allow people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live in safe, supportive, and inclusive communities.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Medicaid provides vital health coverage to millions of people with disabilities. When that funding is reduced, so is access to care, housing, and community life.
We’re asking you to act today—because advocacy matters.
Use The Arc’s simple online form (linked below) to contact your representatives. Tell them why Medicaid matters to you, and why people with disabilities deserve continued access to the support and services they rely on.
Make Your Voice Heard – Take Action Now!
It only takes a few minutes—but your action can help protect what matters most.
#MedicaidMatters #InclusionMatters #AdvocacyForAll #BelongingForEveryone Click here to make your voice heard!
New Office Space
With your financial support and care, we hired our Founding Executive Director and Community Leader, Laura Steed Lorino, this past January. This was an important first step in establishing the first L'Arche community in North Carolina. As the Executive Director, Laura has been instrumental in creating virtual events to build community and friendships, researching and exploring possible L'Arche homes, and cultivating partnerships with local congregations and organizations. She has been doing this all from her dining room table until (DRUMROLL, please)... Today, we are excited to share that Laura now has an office! Duke Memorial United Methodist Church in Durham has graciously leased L'Arche North Carolina an office space equipped with two desks and chairs. It provides much-needed gathering space for professional meetings and enables L'Arche NC to network with other local nonprofit organizations. We plan to have a Johnson Service Corps member begin an internship with us next month who will also be able to utilize this office (we'll share more about this in our September newsletter -- stay tuned!). We are looking for twelve individuals or families to sponsor one month of office read more
Update: Establishing the first L’Arche Community in North Carolina
In April, the Board of Directors met outside for a retreat with our new Executive Director/ Community Leader. With joy and enthusiasm, as we move forward with our mission to establish the first L'Arche community in North Carolina, we discussed where our focus in the Triangle Area should be as we begin searching for property. After discernment and conversation, we have decided to intentionally look and continue conversations in western Wake County. We believe a home in this area will be a strong anchor for all of our future L'Arche communities and programs throughout Triangle and beyond. What does this mean? We have two possibilities for establishing a traditional L'Arche community in the area. Mindful that this house would need to be 4+ bedrooms to provide a home for four core members and the potential to have live-in Assistants: We buy/receive a house that meets our needs and adheres to licensing regulations. We buy/receive land and build our L'Arche community. We welcome your insights on available property: If you (or someone you know) have a home or property for sale, please let us know. We would also gladly read more
To Gather – Together
Over the past month, we have had opportunities to virtually gather together. It has been wonderful to meet new friends and reconnect with old pals. Each program or meeting has provided moments to be in community and celebrate one another's unique gifts. For example, last week, on May the 4th, we joined forces with two other emerging communities, L'Arche Frederick and L'Arche Long Island, for a Star Wars-themed commUNITY karaoke gathering (see photo below). The event was out of this world! Community members and friends shared their talents online -- we had rock stars, talented dancers, and trivia champs join in on the fun. Don't worry, if you missed it, we have another karaoke night coming up next month. To provide safe and accessible opportunities to be with one another, we will continue gathering virtually in large groups over the summer. We hope to meet again in person beginning this Fall. We hope to see you at one of our upcoming events on Zoom: Y'All Belong Here: An Inclusive Sacred Space (Wednesday, May 19 @ 2pm EDT) All are welcome to join us for a 30-minute interfaith virtual read more
A Note from our Executive Director
Dear Friends,It is with great joy that I write to you from Durham, North Carolina. Over the past two months, I have worked remotely from my previous home in California. On Sunday, my wife and I, with our two dogs, arrived in the Triangle area after a five-day road trip across the country. I am grateful for the opportunity to have begun this work while still living on the West Coast. However, I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally be here! I look forward to social distanced gatherings, exploring potential properties in person, and working with the Board of Directors, volunteers, and future staff members to bring the dream of a L’Arche community in North Carolina into reality. In the meantime, I would love to meet with you. If you’re in the area and would like to connect for an outdoor coffee chat or socially distanced meeting, please email me (LauraSL@larchenc.org). If you’re not in the area or prefer to meet on Zoom, I would be happy to set up a call. It would be wonderful to connect with you!For those who celebrated, I hope read more
Welcome: Laura Steed Lorino
We are happy to announce Laura Steed Lorino as the founding Executive Director and Community Leader of L’Arche North Carolina. Laura’s first day at L’Arche North Carolina is today! Laura is originally from the Midwest and attended the University of Indianapolis, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Youth Ministry. She then completed a Master of Divinity degree at Duke Divinity School. While at Duke, Laura was involved in several ministry opportunities and has since completed a Clinical Pastoral Education residency at the UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco. Laura is coming to L’Arche North Carolina from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA, where she served as the Director of Religious & Spiritual Life and Multifaith Chaplain. In this role, she supervised the Affiliate Campus Ministers and Morris Chapel staff, providing opportunities for students, staff, and faculty to explore and strengthen their religious and nonfaith beliefs and traditions, while encouraging the campus community to build bridges amongst differences through organizing programs and events. Passionate about service and helping others feel heard, seen, and included, she also led numerous interfaith service-trips locally and beyond. Laura served on the Board read more
Prayer Night at Christ the King Lutheran
Thank you to Christ The King Lutheran Church in Cary, NC, and to their PossAbilities group for hosting another L'Arche Prayer Night. Last Thursday, we celebrated the theme of love, and offered prayers for our community, L'Arche, and people around the world. It was a gift to connect with the lovely folks at Christ The King! Is your church, community group, or religious organization interested in co-hosting a prayer night with us? Send us a message!
Regarding Jean Vanier
Dear Friends of L'Arche North Carolina, I write to you today with difficult news. L’Arche International has released the results of a recent independent inquiry into the actions of L’Arche’s founder, Jean Vanier. We believe it is critically important to acknowledge the results, although none of the inquiry's findings relate directly to L'Arche in North Carolina or the United States. As L’Arche International’s communication states, the inquiry found Vanier sexually abused six women without disabilities, in the context of spiritual direction, between 1970 and 2005. Vanier lied, protected another abuser, and was himself abusing women. More information on this report and on L’Arche USA’s response can be found in today’s letter from Tina Boverman, L’Arche USA’s National Leader and Executive Director. We at L’Arche North Carolina are shocked, distressed, and deeply saddened by this news. Furthermore, we condemn the actions and inactions of Jean Vanier, which are a betrayal of the fundamental values of our organization. We are grateful for the courage of the women who gave their testimony. While respecting their privacy, we validate the pain that these women endured for many years and the long-lasting and negative impact that Vanier had read more
Letter From L’Arche: Giving Tuesday
Dear Reader, In the midst of the changing seasons the community of L’Arche North Carolina continues to see new life, growth, and hope ahead of us. In these past months we’ve shaped our spiritual identity through prayer nights with local congregations. We’re thankful for our hosts, Duke Memorial UMC and St Francis of Assisi in Raleigh, for holding the space for diverse and beautiful gifts. In addition, members of our board shared the good news of L’Arche’s sign of hope in our local area. I had a chance to visit with the PossAbilities group at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Cary and our dear friends, the Whitehouses, hosted a “get-to-know” L’Arche party in their home. After a year of Skype and phone call communication, we were delighted to meet our regional L’Arche accompanier, Thomas Marquis, who joined us for a prayer night and a L’Arche board meeting. We were excited to hear updates on the work and growth of other founding communities, as well as the work of L’Arche USA. The relational thriving of our community is reflected in our organizational stability and fundraising successes. We continue read more
