Paula’s Spring Update!
Paula and Edward enjoying the spring sunshine and daffodils - Edward works hard to keep our lawns and gardens beautiful!
Dear Friends,
You have helped us through the struggles of the past year. Thank you! As we prepare to exit the pandemic and enter a new period of reconnection, spring is truly in the air.
A few weeks ago, Edward proudly walked me through his garden at our Webster home. His hard work of planting bulbs last autumn paid off. He tells me that the best part of gardening is sharing time with friends and knowing that this is his home. Edward inspires all of us by how he chooses to be there for others, always in a spirit of service.
“I like to help people. I like to help out,” Edward says while nodding his head and chuckling. It matters to him that our homes look beautiful, and his hard work is on display. He is a leader at the place of his gifts.
In March, our Joyful House celebrated its five-year anniversary. Mary Ellen welcomed close friends and family to the outdoor party. She described the significance of the event in her own words. Every day, Mary Ellen lets her housemates know she is happy to see them! She is a leader at the place of her gifts.
L’Arche fosters an environment where habits of the heart are cultivated – careful listening so that each person’s voice is heard; empathy; gratitude; recognizing and celebrating the personal gifts of others. Our emphasis on living for others took on a whole new meaning during the pandemic. I was deeply moved by how everyone, our team members and our Core Members, committed to living a “stay-at-home lifestyle” for the sake of everyone else.
Edward’s and Mary Ellen’s experiences would not exist apart from the support that L’Arche St. Louis receives from our many friends. The people and mission of L’Arche are sustained by your care and prayers, and financial support, generously and freely given. You do not live in a L’Arche home, and it may be that you have not yet had the chance to visit L’Arche. Yet in your own way you are part of Edward’s and Mary Ellen’s stories. That is how friendship and partnership work. Everyone leads and shares from the place of their gifts and with a spirit of abundance.
It is always a privilege for me to invite you and others to contribute financially, but money in itself is never our goal. Our goal is to bring together people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities, to live and work together, and to embrace the hard work of creating conditions where “belonging” is a meaningful experience for all. Of course, money is an important resource to fuel this mission.
Your financial investment is a concrete way of saying, “Yes,” to this mission and to the people who are at the heart of L’Arche. We are ever thankful for your ongoing partnership and invite you to share generously.
Our Spring goal is $250,000.
Edward and Mary Ellen are building community with their resources.
Will you join them today by investing a portion of your financial resources?
With your support we can reach this goal!
Please consider a gift that is right for you. There is enormous power in the fact that we are in this together, each of us doing what we can to sustain L’Arche’s mission to celebrate the unique value of every person. Again, thank you for your partnership!
With peace and in gratitude,
Paula Kilcoyne
Community Leader & Executive Director
P.S. Last year we launched our Heart of L’Arche Society, the partners who are committed to sustaining L’Arche’s impact through regular annual or monthly giving. We now have 300 members – wow!! Please consider joining the Heart of L’Arche family today with a gift of $100 or more. You can make a donation here on our website or by mailing a check to our office at 17 Selma Ave, Webster Groves, MO 63119. Call 314-405-8025 with any questions!
Register today: Our Annual Breakfast with Friends fundraiser will be on Thursday, May 27 (virtual again this year). Register for free at larchestlouis.org/breakfast. You will be thrilled with the program that we present. And this is an easy way to introduce friends to L’Arche!
