Events
Join the L'Arche Community at NelsonCorp Field
Sunday, June 12 @ 2PM
Tickets cost $10 and include admission to the game; your choice of hamburger, cheeseburger or hot dog; a bag of chips; and a can of soda.
Please let Jean Bormann know by Friday June 10 @ 5 p.m., if you plan on attending and how many tickets you will need. Bring your family EVERYONE IS WELCOME If you'd like a L'Arche T-Shirt we have them for sale for $10 each. Let Jean know and she will bring it to the game with her.
Pizza Hut and L'Arche Clinton team up for a fundraising event!
Pizza Hut and L’Arche Clinton
Team up for a monthly fundraising event!
Come enjoy your favorite Pizza Hut meal
1616 N 2nd St., Clinton
The third Monday of every month!
Delivery or Carry-out
Order from Pizza Hut between 5-7 p.m. and L’Arche Clinton will receive 20% of the sales to benefit our Community.
For more information call Jean, 563-243-9035
L’Arche News
Human Rights Press Release
L'Arche Clinton honored with Clinton Human Rights Commission Award
Monday, May 16, 2016 over 30 community members of L'Arche Clinton filed into the Clinton City Council
Chambers to witness Devin Land, Community Leader, accept the 12th Annual Clinton Human Rights
Commission Award on their behalf.
This award is given annually in "Acknowledgement of persons/groups who embody the spirit of
human
rights." L'Arche Clinton, established in 1974, provides advocacy and a sense of dignity to its
core
members by understanding the "human" side of human rights.
Ed Gall, a friend of L'Arche, nominated L'Arche Clinton for this award and read his nomination
letter to those assembled. His letter is attached for all to read.
This year's winner is... L'Arche Clinton Community Leader, Devin Land (left), with Ed
Gall,
friend of L'Arche (center) accepts the Clinton Human Rights Commission Award from Mayor Mark
Vulich
on behalf of the L'Arche community.
Nomination Letter:
Greetings everyone.
When Dr. Gary Heath let me know that the nominations were being accepted for the annual Clinton
Human Rights Commission award, the organization that immediately came to mind was L'Arche
Clinton,
also known as "the Arch." I could speak for a long time about the virtues of L'Arche, and in
particular the L'Arche community in Clinton, but for the sake of time, I will narrow my focus.
As you may know, L'Arche is an international organization that provides community living for
people
with and without developmental disabilities. Initially, I came to know about L'Arche, as many
people have, through the writings of the Dutch Catholic priest and theologian, Henri Nouwen. A
few
years ago, though, my wife and I decided to explore more of what L'Arche was about when we saw
an
announcement for the celebration for the fortieth anniversary of the Arch. We went to that
event,
and things haven't been the same since. The welcome we received from the community and the joy
we
experienced drew us in. My wife and I both ended up serving for a time on the board and
continuing
to attend Arch events and to get to know the community.
What we experienced was a group of people, as it is put in L'Arche terms, who shared life
together.
This was not just a social service agency; it was a community. A community in which people are
encouraged to live to their fullest. A community where people live together, eat together,
sing,
dance, laugh, tell jokes, and understand each other, even if no words are said. A community
where
people intentionally develop relationships and strive to live at peace with each other. A
community
that attempts to hear and consider everyone's voices.
I think that L'Arche Clinton truly does exemplify the mission statement of the Clinton Human
Rights
Commission, "To secure for all individuals within the City freedom from discrimination."
L'Arche
particularly does this with people who are often invisible to many people in our society,
providing
both advocacy and a sense of dignity. L'Arche Clinton also fulfills the purpose of the award by
"embody[ing] the spirit of human of human rights."
Allow me to explain this a bit more. It seems people often use this term, "human rights,"
placing a
particular focus on the aspect of rights. Certainly, it is important to talk about "rights";
this
is a significant aspect of our society. However, there is the other part of this term –
"human." I
think that this is where L'Arche embodies this spirit in another, very significant way. L'Arche
shows people what it means to be human. Without knowing what it means to be human, I think it
is
difficult to appreciate what is meant by the term "human rights." In many cases, people may be
denied human rights not because we don't think that humans have rights, but because we don't
think
that certain people qualify as being human.
As I mentioned at a faculty panel discussion last year at Ashford, I believe part of what makes
us
human is our recognition as human beings by other people. When one is a part of L'Arche one
realizes what it truly means to be human because one is recognized by the community as a fellow
human being – a person. One also is given the opportunity to recognize the humanity of others –
to
see their personalities, gifts, senses of humor, and yes, their struggles, their frustrations,
and
their pain. We need to recognize both the good and the challenging aspects of being human and
being
in community with other humans. L'Arche does not let you escape the humanity of others, or your
own
humanity, for that matter.
As L'Arche Clinton's mission statement states, "Our mission is to create homes of welcome, to
appreciate the unique gifts of each person and to respond to each one's needs." This is the
recognition of one another's humanity: welcome, appreciation, and response. This recognition
forms
the basis for the rights that we accord one another. This welcome, appreciation, and response
is
part of the fabric of L'Arche. Being part of the community, interacting with core members,
assistants, office staff, and board members has make me more cognizant of my humanity and the
humanity of others. This is one of the great gifts of L'Arche, and a reminder that the purpose
of
rights is not just to set minimal standards for society, but to allow all members of our
society to
flourish.
For this and many other reasons, I nominated L'Arche Clinton for this year's Clinton Human
Rights
Commission Award.
Ed Gall
Friend of L'Arche Clinton
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