Group photo of diverse community members at L'Arche Seattle gathering.

L'Arche Seattle

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Spiritual
  • Urban

Founding year

  • 1975

What we do

L’Arche Noah Sealth of Seattle is one of 17 communities in the United States that provide homes and workplaces where people with and without intellectual disabilities live, work and play together as peers, create inclusive communities of faith and friendship, and transform society through relationships that cross social boundaries. Our community, like the city of Seattle, gets its name from the 19th century Duwamish leader – Chief Sealth.
Our community, founded in 1975, provides three homes and day activities for thirteen people with developmental disabilities (Core Members). They are supported by caregivers (Assistants) who come from around the country and the world to live and share life.
Though founded and rooted in Roman Catholicism, we are an ecumenical, intentional faith community and a community where all religious traditions, or none at all are respected.

Our Mission

To make known the gifts of people with developmental disabilities, revealed through mutually transforming relationships;
​To foster an environment in community that responds to the changing needs of our members, while being faithful to the core values of our founding story;
To engage in our diverse cultures, working together toward a more human society.

  • Purpose
  • Spiritual
  • Community type
  • Coliving
  • Spiritual Retreat Centers
  • Activities
  • Experiences
  • Networking

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 1975
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 1975
  • Started living together
  • 20 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
20

How to join

There is an application process on our website for becoming an assistant! https://www.larcheseattle.org/assistant-application-form.html

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Please contact Haley @ re********************@***********le.org if you would like to come give us a visit!

Primary decision-making authority

  • Single Leader or Founding Couple

One person or partnership has ultimate authority.

Decision-making process

  • Leadership Decides

A single person, couple, or small group makes most major decisions.

Governance structure

  • Founder/Leader-led

Primary authority rests with the community’s founder(s) or designated leader(s).

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • There is a labor obligation
  • Members typically need to have their own job or other personal source of income to cover their expenses while living in the community?

Additional economic information

Labor: Yes (40 hrs/week)
Members with pre-existing debt: allowed
We are a living-working community. As an assistant living in the community, you are required to contribute care-giving to your disabled housemates, called core members, and other house responsibilities. Along with room and board, members of the community are also financially compensated for their work.

Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

Common House, Garden(s), Vehicle Share, Outbuilding(s), Gym or sports area, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • 2-5 times per week

Dietary restriction

  • People can cook and eat what they want in their own residence

Community activities and engagement

  • Volunteer, Internship, or Apprenticeship, or WWOOF’ing
  • Organization, Resource, or Network

Substance use culture

  • Substance use occurs primarily at celebrations or ceremonies
  • Substance use is prohibited in the community
  • Religions
  • Christian
  • Jewish

Gender composition

  • Majority cis (over 60%)

Age demographics

  • Mixed adults (few or no children)

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

  • By a Community Land Trust or some other kind of nonprofit

Setting

  • Urban

Within city limits with access to urban amenities and infrastructure.

Community type

  • Coliving

    Shared living spaces with private bedrooms/bathrooms and communal
    kitchens, dining, and social areas.

  • Spiritual Retreat Centers

    Residential communities focused on providing space for meditation, spiritual practice, and personal growth retreats.

Self-produced energy

  • Up to 33%

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%

Local, organic, or fair trade food

  • 33 - 66%

Food systems

  • Community garden

Guest Book

Written reviews are available for plus members. Click here to upgrade.

Location

  • Washington, United States

L'Arche Seattle

Needs and Offers

Connecting people and communities through an intentional online marketplace

  • Promoted
Offer
  • Promoted
  • Events
1 week ago

Healing Love Healing Money: Trust As The Foundation For A New Culture

Money, love and power are among the hardest things any community works with, and many of us carry the same fears into both: not having enough, losing what we have, and the sense that if someone else gets money or love, we won’t. Healing Love, Healing Money: Trust as the Foundation for a New Culture is taught by two intentional communities. Karen McAllister and Duncan Cryle are from Clear Sky Meditation and Retreat Center, a Buddhist-lineage community in the BC Rockies. Monika Alleweldt and Benjamin von Mendelssohn from Tamera Healing Biotope, a community of about 160 people in southern Portugal that has spent decades studying love, trust and relationship. Clear Sky has spent years working on its relationship with money, and our two communities found surprising parallels in the fears beneath both. Over four sessions we explore the roots of fear around money and belonging, love, possession and power, trust as infrastructure (community as a container for healing), and ethical livelihood. We use short meditations, body-based practices, reflection and small-group conversation. You do not need to be in a romantic relationship or live in community. When: October 27, Nov 3, 10, 17. All four sessions: 12–2pm Vancouver, 1–3pm Alberta, 7–9pm UK and Portugal, 8–10pm Central Europe. Note: US and some Canadian provinces change clocks on November 1, so the US west coast is 12–2pm on October 27, then 11am–1pm for the remaining sessions, and Eastern is 3–5pm on October 27, then 2–4pm for the rest. Cost: sliding scale Details and registration: https://www.clearskycenter.org/event/healing-love-healing-money-online/  
October 27, 2026 13:00 – November 17, 2026 15:00
  • Promoted
Need
  • Promoted
Offer
  • Communities with Openings
4 months ago

Do you feel called to help co-create a small, newly forming eco-spiritual community?

Old structures are crumbling. New ways of living are calling. We are answering that call. Wild Grace is an eco-spiritual community located in the Sierra foothills 30 minutes from Grass Valley, California. We recently completed new homes for those who feel called to our vision. Currently there are four of us living on this sacred 80 acres of land although we are a hub for an expanded neighborhood community. Many join us weekly for potlucks, expressive dance, Qi Gong, monthly musical gatherings, and seasonal celebrations in our temple, as well as tending to our orchard. We are excited to welcome others to join us on the land who are dedicating their lives to spiritual growth and ready to live in a more focused and intimate heart-centered lifestyle. Might that be you or someone you know? The fundamentals are simple. Spirit. We listen personally and collectively together most mornings, usually starting with a musical offering, a prayer, or a short reading, followed by about 40 minutes of what we call “sacred silence.” Heart Circles. About once a week we gather to share and listen. We are informed by authentic and compassionate communication practices. Nature. The land itself—an 80-acre oasis of field and forest perched above the wild and scenic South Yuba River—calls for our stewardship in the gardens, orchard, greenhouses, and general care. In turn, nature feeds us abundantly, both literally and spiritually. Interbeing. We join with others to share inspiration and connection as we host monthly gatherings of song, story and prayer that draws from the larger community in addition to other events we share with our closer neighbors. As we attend to these fundamentals, Grace flows to and through us—often in “Wild” or unexpected ways. Grace catalyzes through us, but is not something we possess. Because we all are connected, we feel that Grace actively transforms n
Offer
Need
  • Communities with Openings
5 hours ago

Seeking Partner/Co-Founder for a Cooperative Community in Western NC

Co-Founder / Project Partner Needed: Coweeta Heritage Center The Coweeta Heritage Center / Talking Rock Farm in Otto, North Carolina, is seeking a dedicated co-founder and long-term project partner to help manage, expand, and transition our community land project. As the primary founder is balancing physical limitations (including a bad back) and a demanding workload, we are looking for a capable partner to share the operational reins and help shape the next phase of this intentional community. What We Are Looking For Organizational & Administrative Skills: Ability to streamline systems, manage outreach, and organize community data. Social Media & Digital Presence: Skills to revitalize our online reach, update public directory listings (such as ic.org), and manage applicant communications. Practical & Technical Capabilities: Hands-on familiarity with or strong interest in sustainable forestry, organic agriculture, and alternative energy infrastructure. Strong Communication: A commitment to Non-Violent Communication (NVC), transparency, and collaborative governance. What We Offer On-Site Housing: Dedicated housing is provided on-site in Otto to facilitate close coordination, daily collaboration, and deep integration into the land. Established Foundation: Step into an active project with existing infrastructure, clear community onboarding frameworks, an established legal LLC structure, and an estate succession blueprint. Strategic Input: Full partnership in vetting future interns, managing the phased onboarding pipeline, and executing land-clearing and sustainable infrastructure projects.

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