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 to see people financially investing in L’Arche North Carolina. We are excited to announce that we are well on our way towards raising our Phase 1 project goal of $100,000. In early 2020 we will begin the hiring process for our Community Leader. This will move us into Phase 2 – the opening of our first home.
The board continues to dig deep into the work of financial management and stability for our organization. We’ve written several grants, network with funders, and take trainings with Triangle Community Foundation. Over the next few months we’ll shift our focus to the hiring process by developing a community mandate that will guide our work and give us focus.
We continue to seek board members with skills and interest in human relations and development. We are eager to close the giving gap before the end of the year. If you have considered giving to L’Arche in the past now is the time your gift would make a significant impact towards our first major milestone.
Thank you for all you do to support the birth of L’Arche in North Carolina. We are so grateful.
In Peace,
Melissa Florer-Bixler
Chair, L’Arche North Carolina Board of Directors
