Learn all you need to know about L’Arche Greater Washington, D.C. with the information below.
New friends and exciting opportunities are just around the corner!
L’Arche Greater Washington, D.C.
Skills Needed
Preferred one year of direct medical/caregiving experience
Must be 20 or older
Current driver’s license
Conversational Spanish skills (for one of our four homes)
Geographic Location
Living in the heart of the city. Our homes are in Washington, DC and Arlington, VA, and blend into the other homes in the neighborhood. Abundance of free museums and cultural opportunities throughout the city, as well as a lot of parks and hiking trails. Really culturally diverse and vibrant neighborhoods and cities.
Public Transportation
Yes, very accessible. Metro and buses are readily available and get you anywhere in the city. Also a very walkable/bike friendly city. We often recommend that assistants come without a car if they live-in due to the ease of getting around otherwise.
Community Description
Assistants are a range of ages, and most commonly in their 20’s and 30’s. Core members are 40-80yrs old. Predominantly women assistants. Predominantly Christian, followed by spiritual not religious. We have a mixture of DC/Arlington natives, and assistants who come from afar. Core people are Cuban, French, African American, and white. Assistants are predominately white, followed by African American, Asian and Latino/a/x.
Community Strengths
Have been in the neighborhood since 1983, meaning we are also very connected with our surrounding community and churches. We have weekly celebrations, and generally a spirit of celebration within the community. Several opportunities for growth (our house leaders and members of our office team of most commonly past assistants). Consistent training and accompaniment. Many of our assistants tend to stay longer term (2-3 years rather than 1 year).
Community Challenges
The community straddles two different cities, meaning: two different regulating bodies, two different demographics of the neighborhood and of assistants. For example, our two homes in Arlington have primarily live-in assistants, while our two homes in DC have primarily live-out assistants. Like all communities we are also adapting to meet the challenges of COVID-19.
What you should know before coming
Many of our core members are aging meaning we are learning to adapt to their changing needs, including the new physical supports they might need. Our assistants and volunteers receive a lot of accompaniment and support both within the practical pieces of the role and relationally.
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