L'Arche communities ?are places where people of different abilities share life, part of that is that Core Members and House Assistants live together in the community's homes. This is where relationships are build on a daily basis, which happens through actions such as sharing meals, joking and laughing, as well as grieving and crying. In L'Arche we say "It is more than just a job". As somebody who has been living in two L'Arche communities, I can assure you of the value of the role of Live-In Assistants. I call the house I live in my home, which I share with friends, some of whom need help with parts of their daily life.

If the proposed change of regulation takes place, all of this will not be possible anymore for the Virginia homes of L'Arche Greater Washington, D.C. and make the situation for L'Arche Metro Richmond even more difficult than it already is. The opportunity to share life together with friends in their home would be taken away from the Core Members and change many aspects of community drastically.

I am not a member of either of the communities that would be affected by such a change, but I am sure they would be happy to welcome you so that you can see for yourself. Please remove 'who do not live in the home' and let people make their decisions themselves. Thank you!