Live-in Assistant, L'Arche Noah Sealth of Seattle, Seattle, Washington

 Description

What does it mean to be a L'Arche assistant?



Well, we should let you know right away that L'Arche is not an ordinary job but also a choice to participate 
in community with a certain lifestyle!   



Simply by living in a LÂ’Arche community, assistants are often surprised by the new horizons that open up for 
them through the depth of their experiences and by the way that the people at the heart of a L'Arche community 
touch their lives. Often they are inspired to discover in themselves new gifts of leadership and a clearer 
sense of direction for their future.



As a L'Arche Seattle assistant, you will be invited to make your home in one of our three L'Arche households. 
There you will accompany core members (people with a developmental disability) in their activities of daily 
life, helping them as needed, discovering who they are, and developing a relationship with them.  



Besides being able to communicate in English, we ask applicants to have a willingness to learn from and be 
open to the possibility of being changed through their experiences in community, to embrace the training that 
L'Arche provides, to work in a team, and to support the members of a house and to participate in the activities of 
the community. As a candidate for probationary membership, you donÂ’t need any previous experience with people 
with a developmental disability, and for many, LÂ’Arche is their first experience of community.



Assistants usually make an initial commitment of a year, with the first three months being a period of 
orientation and a time for the assistant and the community to discover whether the choice to come to L'Arche is a good 
fit at a particular time. 

Many assistants decide that, because they are growing and finding life in L'Arche, they will make a further 
commitment of a second, third or more years. During the first months as an assistant you will learn about the 
values, philosophy and way of life at L'Arche as well as developing relationships with the people in your home or 
day program.  Gradually you may take on more responsibilities. A few people, over time, come to make a 
long-term commitment to L'Arche.  Many people have found that their time in L'Arche is one of the most formative of 
their life.



Assistants are paid a modest monthly salary and benefits. They have a certain amount of personal time each day 
and two days away each week.

 Requirements 

Most of our training occurs on the job during the first three months.  We do ask the following of applicants:



Openness to personal growth to being on a spiritual pathway.

The emotional maturity to handle complex situations.

High-school graduate (College degree preferred but not required.)

Current driver's license.

Fluency  in English (oral and written).

References from people who have done Short Term Missions with this organization before are available upon 
request. Submit "I Want to Volunteer!" to receive more information.

 Additional Detail