Communities at Work L’Arche

L’Arche L'Arche is a group of over 130 worldwide communities where people with and without intellectual disabilities share life together in community. L'Arche fosters an environment to celebrate the unique value of each and every person in those communities and recognizes our need of one another. They seek to be a sign of hope in a world that increasingly looks for purpose and meaning in the pursuit of material success often at the expense of deeper personal relationship.

L’Arche What is L'Arche? L'Arche (French for "The Ark") began in 1964 when Jean Vanier invited two men, who were confined within a local institution because of their intellectual disabilities, to come live with him.  Together they shared a small house in the French village, Trosly-Breuil, north of Paris which became their home.  From this simple beginning, L'Arche has grown to more than 130 communities worldwide.

L’Arche L'Arche - Video Clip Take down the following questions and use this video clip to help you answer them. Who is the founder of L’Arche? What inspired the founder to establish the L’Arche community? List some activities the core members take part in? Outline the day of a volunteer in L’Arche.

Time for Reflection Evaluate the role of L’Arche and discuss the main message you took from the video clip.