L'Arche was founded in 1964, at a time when residential facilities for the mentally handicapped were deplorable. Today, there are 153 L'Arche communities on 5 continents, in 38 countries. L'Arche's message has become universal: welcoming everyone's frailties is an essential way of building a more humane society.
The mission of L'Arche is to :
- To make known the gift of people with intellectual disabilities, which is revealed through mutually transformative relationships.
- To develop a community environment that meets the changing needs of our members, while remaining true to the core values of our founding story.
- To engage with each other's cultures and work together to build a more humane society.
In a L'Arche community, men and women with mental disabilities live and work together with those who choose to share their daily lives (employees or civic service volunteers).
Each community is made up of 2 to 5 living or residential homes, and a place for work or daytime activities. In France, L'Arche has 36 communities. They are home to some 4,000 people, including 1,350 with mental disabilities.
L'Arche communities are open to the world and very much in touch with their rural and urban environment. They surround themselves with a large network of friends, partners and volunteers.
The strength of L'Arche also lies in its strong desire to build these spaces with disabled people, not just for them.