What is an Assistant?
Assistants come to L’Arche Stratford from around the world, and around the corner, so our community includes Canadians as well as people from many other countries. The key to life in L’Arche – for everyone – is being open to relationship. Assistants and core members (people with intellectual disabilities) create home together in households of six to eight people. Days are filled with the ordinary tasks of daily living – meals, bathing, cleaning and household chores, laundry, shopping, accompanying people to the doctor or the dentist – and regular community meetings and events. Home life is the cornerstone of L’Arche. The evening meal, birthdays, and times of prayer are small but cherished celebrations that strengthen the bonds between people who live and work together.
Most people come with an initial commitment of one year. Assistants come with a broad range of backgrounds and qualifications. All new assistants participate in a program of orientation and training. Compensation and benefits are provided. Please continue reading below for more details around becoming an assistant in our community.
Live-in Assistants
As part of a team of 3-4 assistants, House Assistants coordinate and participate in caring for the members of the home, ensuring adherence with the Ministry of Community and Social Services Guidelines and L’Arche Stratford’s policies and procedures.
Ideal community members possess the following:
• warm and friendly nature
• easy to work with
• initiative
• effective communication skills – a good sense of humour is always appreciated in our homes!
• creative problem solving skills
• strong team-oriented perspective
Becoming a Live-in Assistant
Our recruitment for assistants interested in sharing life in one of our homes continues throughout the year. If you are a caring, compassionate person looking to make a difference, and ready for a challenge, we invite you to contact us or apply! L’Arche continues to be a place of formation and growth for many people.
Interview Process and Training
You do not need to have previous experience or training. We require proven ability and aptitude to carry the responsibilities of a house assistant before an offer of employment is given. We conduct an interview, reference-check, and coordinate a trial shift in one of our homes. All training is provided within 3 months of joining the community: dispensing medication, personal care and hygiene, CPR and CPI.
