Our License

L’Arche Heartland is a 501-c3 non-profit organization, registered in the State of Kansas, governed by a local volunteer Board of Directors.  We hold a state license from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) to provide Home and Community Based Residential and Day Service Supports for Adults with Intellectual / Developmental Disabilities (I/DD).  We also hold an affiliation with the Johnson County Developmental Disability Organization (CDDO).  L’Arche Heartland is a member community of the International Federation of L’Arche and responds to authority on many different levels: The City of Overland Park, Johnson County, State of Kansas, and L’Arche USA.

View our KDADS License

View our 501(c)(3) certificate

View our annual reports here

View our Current 990

Current Mandate

Over the past several years, Heartland has seen significant growth: two new homes, five new core members in the homes, an expanded Academy, and the addition of a new community coordinator. As we give thanks for the growth in our members and resources, we also are mindful of the challenge to grow in the way we live L'Arche's mission each day.

In the next five years, we hope this mandate will allow us to live our mission more fully by naming the following priorities:  fostering our environment, focusing on mutual relationships, developing formation for all, and increasing integration in our city.

Fostering our Environment

L'Arche Heartland is dedicated to fostering an environment where everyone feels accepted, loved, and safe to express their needs. As we share daily life together, we hope to attend to these needs whenever possible by

  • Cultivating an atmosphere of trust among and towards leadership.

  • Providing opportunities for everyone to share their opinions, needs, and hopes.

  • Being open to new ideas and structures of living in community.

  • Honoring each person and the relationships that are meaningful to them.

  • Remembering our identity as a community that trusts God.

  • Maintaining responsible stewardship of resources to support the community’s mission

Mutual Relationships

We believe that togetherness is the key for understanding mutual relationships. Togetherness takes time, a readiness to celebrate each other’s gifts, and a commitment to caring for one another. To strengthen mutual relationships, we seek to

  • Foster more one-to-one and across-our-homes interactions, with a mind to simple activities, games, and common interests.

  • Learn and practice communication skills to help us heal conflicts and navigate daily life.

  • Balance our use of technology and media to bring us together more meaningfully.

Formation

Formation shapes the growth of one’s character in the context of mutual relationship, nurtured by spirituality, with attention to L’Arche’s roots. Formation is for every person in L’Arche for the up building of the whole community. To grow in compassion, responsibility, and joy, we affirm that

  • Praying together is a means of grace, necessary for the growth we desire.

  • Each meeting presents an opportunity to practice formation.

  • Regular individual evaluations support our growth

  • Regular community accompaniment helps us to live out the mission of L’Arche each day.

  • Fostering long-term commitments among assistants builds leadership within the community.

Integration

As members of Greater Kansas City, we desire to be better neighbors and grow our presence. As we develop our relationships, we want to find ways to share our story and draw others into it. We want to announce that we all have a place in the human community and gifts to offer. As we partner with others who also believe this, we commit to

  • Seeking opportunities to exercise our gifts in the broader community.

  • Developing mutual relationships with other faith groups in the city.

  • Continue developing our community’s capacities by growing our board and diversifying our revenue sources.

  • Strengthening our bonds within the International Federation of L’Arche, in a spirit of solidarity.

  • Finding ways to announce L’Arche and inviting people to participate in our mission.