L’Arche Winter Appeal
Core members and assistants care deeply for one another. During scary times, these relationships comfort us and keep us safe. You make these relationships possible at L’Arche. Though we are physically distant, you offer prayer, messages of hope, and financial support that sustains L’Arche throughout the months.
Celebration is a key value and activity at L’Arche. At the same time, we don’t shy away from facing the hard stuff, and 2020 has certainly been hard. We’ve given up gathering in person. We’ve given up going away together on vacations and retreats. We’ve given up visits to our family homes and going out to camps, concerts and coffee with friends.
But we haven’t given up on maintaining connections or on celebration. And you haven’t given up on us. With your $75 gift, we will stay connected and keep celebrating one another.
Your gift today helps core members continue to share their gifts with the world. Your gift offers virtual programs at L’Arche Tahoma Hope that invite core members to share their gifts with new friends and familiar, supportive faces. You create a place to belong at L’Arche, even though gathering in person is not possible.
Would you consider a gift of $75 or more to support people with intellectual disabilities to stay connected through L’Arche?
I want to share a story about how L’Arche’s focus on connection and mutual relationship impacts people who often stand on the margins of society. Let me introduce you to Leana. When I got involved with L’Arche Tahoma Hope, Leana was one of the first people I got to know. In my experience, Leana LOVES to talk, especially one-on-one. If you met her working at L’Arche Farm & Gardens, you might never know that connecting with others wasn’t always easy.
Leana was 14 years old before she was able to have a conversation with her parents. While Leana experienced unconditional love at home, her disability meant that school was difficult. Leana had to work hard to learn. She was also picked on and bullied by others who didn’t understand her disability or take time to learn about the gifts she had to share. These experiences make it hard for Leana to trust others even now.
Leana came to L’Arche through L’Arche’s supported employment program. After a while, as Leana’s connection with L’Arche grew, she was invited to move into a L’Arche home. It was a big – “nervy,” as Leana would say – step in her life. It wasn’t easy to be away from her parents.
At first, there were things that Leana couldn’t do. She was sometimes overwhelmed with fear; she might freeze up and need support from others. But as Leana’s connection to others in L’Arche grew, these hard times came less and less often. Leana now takes care of chores around her house, welcomes new housemates, and participates in celebrations in her own way at home and during our virtual gatherings.
Leana’s “sweet spot” is at L’Arche Farm & Gardens, where she works as part of the Farm team, side-by-side with other farmers and volunteers. She often greets customers as they come to purchase flowers or produce, and she enjoys teaching volunteers her farming skills. Leana’s connection to community has helped her to blossom and to share her gifts with others.
But in March, Leana’s work on the Farm stopped. Like many others, Leana didn’t know what would happen next, and she had to learn new ways to connect with others. Even though the Farm is hosting workers again on a reduced schedule, schools and other volunteer groups are still not able to come. Leana relies on her housemates, outside and virtual visits with her parents and friends, and virtual community gatherings to stay connected.
You can support Leana and others to navigate new ways of staying connected!
Perhaps you can relate to Leana’s situation, as your daily life has been impacted by the pandemic just like Leana’s. You know how important it is to maintain friendships during hard times and the challenges of learning new virtual tools and physically-distanced ways of connecting.
I’ll tell you one of the secrets of L’Arche: giving up on connection and relationship is not an option. That’s why Leana and all the rest of us are working so intentionally on staying connected. And that’s why we need your help.
You can support Leana, and all the members of this L’Arche community, as we continue to share L’Arche with the world – safely through virtual and physically-distanced programs and activities.
We don’t know how long core members will need to keep physically distant from others. It will still be hard as time goes on. But your gift of $75 today means that each person will be supported in staying safe and connected at L’Arche Tahoma Hope.
In Gratitude,
Laura Giddings
Executive Director
L’Arche Tahoma Hope Community
P.S. – Your gift is important to the safety of core members and keeps each person connected to friends and community at L’Arche Tahoma Hope. Please consider donating $75 or more to continue to make connection and community possible for people with intellectual disabilities.
