Learn all you need to know about L’Arche Frederick with the information below.
De nouveaux amis et des opportunités passionnantes vous attendent!
L’Arche Frederick
Skills Needed
We welcome applicants 18 and older with a high school diploma or GED equivalent. Experience working with people with IDD and/or within an intentional community setting is a plus.
Geographic Location
We won’t be upset if you admit you never heard of Frederick, Maryland. Frederick is the second-largest city in the state with a fun, active downtown and a welcoming, small town feel. The arts & restaurant scene is lively with dozens of breweries, wineries, & coffee shops close by, not to mention great farms for your apple & pumpkin-picking pleasure. Throughout the year – particularly in the summer – free concerts, festivals, and events can be found throughout town, especially in Baker Park, along Carroll Creek, and at the fairgrounds. The mountain views mean that hiking, skiing, and all the outdoor activities one could want are close by. Baltimore, MD and the Washington DC metro area are within 1 hour’s drive. The biggest endorsement comes from our Community Leader’s husband, a Bronx-raised city dweller, who recently declared his sincere love for living in Frederick.
Public Transportation
The L’Arche home is located 1 block from a bus stop which brings you to downtown Frederick, a 5-10 minute ride away. The bus system runs throughout the area, as well. The MARC train connects Frederick to the Washington, DC metro area and the mountains of western Maryland & West Virginia. It is quicker to get around by car, but public transit options are available, in addition to using the house van.
Community Description
The founding core members have not been welcomed yet. We have hosted events at a local Catholic church for 10 years. A good portion of the people who attend our social events identify as Christian (largely Catholic) and we welcome people from all faith backgrounds, spiritual beliefs, or no faith practices. The group has a range of ages, including families and college-age students, thanks to our long standing partnership with Mount St. Mary’s University. As we grow, we seek to nurture and support a diverse community life.
Community Strengths
There is an incredible amount of excitement, care, and joy surrounding Frederick’s first home. We recognize that we need everyone’s diverse gifts and active participation to bring this intentional community home to life. The community has hosted inclusive social events for 10 years in Frederick. A significant portion of our participants and board members have been involved since the beginning. While a young community, our small staff has decades of experience sharing life & working in other L’Arche communities. We have a long history with Mount St. Mary’s University and local faith communities, which we know will be a great support to us as we grow.
Community Challenges
Since we are opening the first home, we are not well-rooted in the neighborhood. Strong, lasting connections with our immediate neighbors are forming but need the time & attention of the founding housemates. Second, the core members – often the finest teachers and sources of support orienting oneself to life in L’Arche – will be new to living in a L’Arche community, too. Building mutual relationships, forming community traditions, nourishing the culture of the community, discovering routines & rhythms in the home, and building trust & competency around provision of care – this will all happen concurrently, in many ways.
What you should know before coming
While we are a young community in “L’Arche years”, a passionate and engaged community of supporters has been in place for well over a decade. Still, you will be a founding member of the home – an opportunity to set down L’Arche’s roots in Frederick that will come with unique challenges & gifts.
Contact L'Arche Frederick
Express your interest below. We are excited to meet you!
Question?
Trouvez-nous en ligne ou contactez-nous. Nous nous ferons un plaisir de vous aider !
French 
English