Consider becoming a live-in Assistant in a L’Arche home, supporting people with developmental disabilities.
Assistants at L’Arche
Assistants come to L’Arche Greater Vancouver from around the world and around the corner. As a result our community includes Canadians as well as people from many other countries.
The key to life in L’Arche – for everyone – is being open to building relationships and sharing life together in community.
Home life is the cornerstone of L’Arche. Assistants and our members with developmental disabilities create home together in households of six to eight people.
Days are filled with the ordinary tasks of daily living – meals, personal care, cleaning and household chores, laundry, shopping, recreational activities, accompanying people to the doctor, completion of necessary documentation and reporting – and regular community meetings and events.
The evening meal, birthdays, and times of prayer are small but cherished celebrations that strengthen the bonds between people who live and work together.
Most people come with an initial commitment of one year. Assistants come with a broad range of backgrounds and qualifications. All new assistants participate in a program of orientation and training. Compensation and benefits are provided.
The assistants’ responsibility is to ensure that the physical, emotional, spiritual, vocational and recreational needs of the disabled members of their household are met while maximizing their choices and participation in the decisions affecting their lives.
Requirements for Assistants:
- To value people with developmental disabilities and the gift they bring to society
- Ability to provide physical care and emotional support to people with developmental disabilities
- Openness to develop competence in a wide range of areas including household planning, individual care and support needs, administrative skills,standards and policies, personal time management.
- Good communication skills – both verbal and written
- Ability to work cooperatively in a team, to take initiative and work with a supervisor
- Class 5 Drivers License
If you are up to the challenge and want to make a difference contact:
trainer@larchevancouver.org
