L'Arche Heartland, KS

L'Arche Heartland was founded in 1987 when we welcomed our first persons with intellectual/developmental disabilities into the community. Today, the community is comprised of five separate homes and two day services where core member (persons with disabilities) and assistants (persons who serve as care providers) live and share their lives. Core members choose employment as well as recreational and social activities that they find interesting and challenging. The homes operate independently but the entire community meets every Tuesday evening for community prayer and a meal. We also usually share a Saturday activity such as going to the movies or the zoo. Relationships are at the heart of our community, with the emphasis placed on sharing lives, responsibilities, and welcoming others. Each person, considered sacred and unique, is encouraged and supported to grow spiritually, emotionally, socially, and vocationally according to his or her gifts. Our community is governed by a local volunteer board of directors and licensed by the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services. We work closely with families and guardians of persons with disabilities as well as professionals and government officials to ensure a high quality of life.