Assistants

In the L'Arche tradition, support staff - called Assistants - and people with an intellectual disability live together as a household. There they share their work, their joys and their suffering in an atmosphere of friendship and belonging.

Assistants take part in normal, everyday household activities, help those with a disability plan and organise their day, support them on visits to medical professionals, and are responsible for the administration of the household.

People wanting to share in the life of a L'Arche community by being an assistant need to come with:

• a desire to share their life with people with an intellectual disability
• a desire to build community together
• an acceptance that they will have guidance from the community
• a willingness to work with the House Co-ordinator in forming a team within a household
• a willingness to take on responsibilities within the house and the L'Arche community
• practical life skills such as cooking, household management and vehicle driving

This way of life is based on gratuity – the free giving of self, one to another. It is a lifestyle that includes both home-life and work.

Coming to L’Arche involves choosing a simple way of life and our salary system reflects the values essential to this way of life.

top