Assistants
Assistants come to L’Arche Daybreak 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.
Present Opportunities
One Full time Male or Female Live-in Assistant
Description
A one 1 year commitment preferred – available immediately – posted January 30, 2012.
Send resumes directly to humanres@larchedaybreak.com .
As part of a team of approx. 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 Daybreak’s policies and procedures.
The ideal candidate will possess the following:
• initiative
• effective communication skills – verbal and written
• creative problem solving skills
• strong team-building skills
Summer Assistants
We are also inviting applications for a limited number of summer assistants (May – August) and co-op students who help to cover vacations of house assistants. Previous experience in L’Arche is preferred for such shorter-term commitments.
Click here for a full role description. Keep reading more below for a description of being a house assistant in L’Arche.
More information on becoming a Full Time Live-in Assistant
Our recruitment for new assistants 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! Voted one of the top 50 places to work by co-op students at the University of Waterloo, L’Arche continues to be a place of formation and growth for many people.
Please continue reading below to get a sense of the daily rhythm, expectations, and opportunities for growth at L’Arche. Click here for a pdf of the role description of a live-in L’Arche Assistant.
Application Process
Interested applicants are invited to apply on-line, fax resumes to (905) 884-0580, or e-mail: humanres@larchedaybreak.com
Please note: we are only able to directly process applications from Canadian Citizens or Landed Immigrants. All international applicants, including persons who are presently in Canada on a visitor’s visa need to apply through the L’Arche Canada centralized application system which will direct applicants to L’Arche Daybreak if there are present needs.
We continue to welcome many assistants from many different cultures, but the application process for foreign applicants to come to Daybreak involves 4 steps which could take 4 – 6 months or more:
- Apply through the L’Arche Canada website
- Indicate on the application whether you would want to come to Daybreak or you are open to going to any other community. There are 30 communities across Canada.
- Wait to hear for confirmation from L’Arche Canada.
- If your application is accepted for processing you will then be contacted by Daybreak or another community who has received your application. We will then go through our normal hiring process.
Other Opportunities
Live-in Assistants, mid August – early September the following year
Each year, we welcome up to 12 new assistants to join our community for a one-year commitment. If you are interested in applying and are presently living in the Greater Toronto area, please contact us to arrange a visit to one of our homes for supper.
The starting salary range for the role of live-in house assistant is $21,560 – $25,000 CDN depending on experience and length of contract. All training and orientation will be provided in the first 3 months, which is also the probationary period.
Our Community Make-up
Our community consists of 8 homes in Richmond Hill, Ontario. All of our homes are within 5 minutes walking distance of other L’Arche homes, and close to public transportation, libraries, restaurants, and gyms. Richmond Hill is located about an hour away from Toronto. There are 36 core members (persons with intellectual disabilities) who have a home at Daybreak, living along with 32 assistants in our homes. Today, about half of our assistants come from other countries.
We also have 5 Day Programs where core members engage in a wide range of activities: making craft products, developing social skills, producing surveyor stakes, and expressive arts. Recruitment for day positions in the Day Programs occurs less frequently than for the Homes.
A Typical Day for a L’Arche Assistant
7:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
An assistant’s day usually begins by 7:00 a.m. You would help two or three core members to wake up, have breakfast and get dressed by 9:00 a.m. During the week, most core members go to a work or day program between 9:00am – 4:00pm., and you would drive or walk with them to drop them off and come back to the house. Team meetings are held on Mondays between 9 – 12 p.m. On other mornings, you will be busy with running the household: cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, or helping out in one of our work or day programs. Your afternoons, 12:00 – 3:30 are free.
3:30p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Core members return home from work between 3:30 and 4:00, and you would help welcome them back home: preparing tea, going for a walk or coffee, relaxing and talking together about the day, or preparing supper together. On a team of 4 assistants, you will be responsible for cooking the evening meal 2 – 3 times per week for 6 – 12 people.
Supper is at 6:00 p.m. and is a time of sharing, celebrating and being together. After supper, most homes end the meal around the table with a simple prayer and gratitude for the day. Many core members like to relax in the evenings, watching T.V., going for a walk or coffee with an assistant. On Fridays, we have our weekly community worship service at the Dayspring, our spiritual center where many friends and neighbors attend. There are also community events, dances and social trips to other houses in the evenings.
The final activity for the day is helping core members get ready for bed. The core members in our homes are generally middle-aged and prefer quite often to retire to bed relatively early. Usually by 9:30, most core members have gotten ready for bed, and the house activities have settled down.
Time Away
Each week, you would have 1 1/2 days away during the week (Monday – Friday). Two examples of possible days away are: Monday 12 p.m. – Tuesday evening at 10:00 p.m. or Wednesday 7 a.m. to Thursday at 4 p.m. You would also have one weekend away per month, always from Thursday 12 p.m. to Sunday at 6:00 p.m. You are entitled to a minimum of 2 weeks of vacation in your first year and 3 weeks in your second year.
Assistants’ Bedrooms
Each assistant at Daybreak has their own bedroom modestly furnished with a bed, desk, and dresser. Room and Board is deducted – $350 per month – from each pay check.
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.
Compensation
The starting salary range for the role of live-in house assistant is $23,400 – $25,000 CDN depending on previous work or life experience and length of contract. For co-op students, the salary is $23,400. Deducted from your salary each month is $350 for Room and Board, $180 for food, and $20 for vehicle use. Take home pay after taxes and living costs for new assistants depends on your tax situation. The range is $900.00 to $1,350.00. Previous L’Arche experience is considered in your starting salary.
