Becoming an assistant:

Assistants play an important role in a L’Arche community. Most assistants live full time in the community homes, though some have responsibilities outside the homes and occasionally an assistant may move to a “live out “role. In our community we see that the live in assistant model is very important and we strive to recruit and support the needs of all who live in the homes. As assistants begin to live in the homes they often discover that L’Arche is not like any other job they have known. It is about experiencing life with people with differing abilities. It is about “living with” rather than “doing for”. Through this attitude and action of “living with’ we support people to grow in independence and confidence so that all may participate fully in community life as well as the life of the home.

The assistant helps to facilitate the life of the home. This includes getting to know people, entering into relationship with them, providing support and guidance as well as being willing to receive support and guidance from others. It also includes home making tasks such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, which is shared by all living in the home.

Assistants are expected to get to know the community beyond their own home. They attend regular meetings and training times. These meetings are one of the ways we build community together. They help the assistant to learn more about the philosophy of L’Arche and they also learn more about themselves. Assistants receive a day away a week, a weekend away a month and free time in the afternoons. Assistants are entitled to vacation time according to the length of time they are in the community. Health Care is provided for assistants staying in the community 12 months or longer. (Foreign assistants staying less than a year are required to purchase their own health insurance).

We welcome assistants from Canada as well as from all over the world. The process to apply is as follows:

a)Complete and submit an application form (on line or by contacting office). This will include references as well as a police check.

b)References will be checked and a phone or personal interview is scheduled with you.

c)An information package will be sent out to each interested assistant which will include an informational CD about the work of an assistant in a L’Arche community.

d)If the application is accepted, you will receive the paperwork you will need to begin the process of applying for a visa to come to Canada . Canadian applicants will be asked to come to the office to complete necessary paperwork and a moving in date will be set.

e)Once you receive your visa you are required to let the community know your travel arrangement s and date of arrival.

There is ongoing communication between the community and the incoming assistant. The visa application process can take several months to complete, it includes a medical exam. In a few cases the application for visa may be denied by the Canadian Consulate.

After a period of initial orientation there will be an evaluation of how the person is doing. This is followed by annual evaluations.