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After more than a decade of prayer, planning, and hard work, L'Arche Wavecrest opened Abraham House in July 2004 - the first L'Arche community in California!
Who is Abraham House?
Abraham House Core Members are Cathy Acton, Terry Cain, Chris Friedman, Cindy Heim, and Jason Rosales. They live in community with House Coordinator Karin Nuernberg and Assistants Gilbert Marquez, Jr. and Jim Roedl.
What is Abraham House?
Abraham House is a group home where Core Members (persons with developmental disabilities) live with Assistants (persons without disabilities). The structure of the community is unique because there are no roles of patient or client; the Core Members and Assistants live in the household and share all aspects of daily life.
In addition, Abraham House also serves as a focal point for local community-based organizations, churches, public agencies, and individuals to work together to create a healthy community for all persons with developmental disabilities. Abraham House is located in Orange County, California.
The Need for a L’Arche Community
According to the Regional Center of Orange County, a non-profit, private agency contracted by the state of California to provide services to individuals with developmental disabilities, there are an estimated 13,000 people with developmental disabilities living in Orange County, California.
L'Arche Wavecrest received so many requests from persons with developmental disabilities and their families that a waiting list was created for placement in the first home. For the 3 spaces we had available initially, we received 16 applications. L'Arche Wavecrest has been blessed to grow to a total of five Core Members, but there is still a need in the community for homes like Abraham House that nurture and celebrate persons with developmental disabilities.
The term developmental disability refers to a severe and chronic disability, such as mental retardation, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, and similar conditions.
For many adults with developmental disabilities, the greatest challenge can be to find a warm, nurturing, home environment that encourages personal growth while ensuring their health, safety, and well-being. Many adults with developmental disabilities live with aging parents who find themselves increasingly unable to provide for the emotional, mental, and physical health needs of their son or daughter. When the parents pass away, care of the adult with a disability may fall to a sibling or other relative who is not willing or able to provide the level of care needed to ensure an optimal quality of life.
Limited income also poses great challenges for persons with developmental disabilities. According to the Research and Training Center on Community Living at the University of Minnesota, an estimated 32.6% of individuals with mental retardation/developmental disabilities in the U.S. live below the poverty level as compared to 12.9% of the general population.
While some adults with developmental disabilities are able to secure paid employment, the majority live on incomes consisting solely of governmental SSI and Regional Center payments. Individuals with jobs are subject to strict income limitations; if they earn above a certain amount, their SSI and Regional Center payments are reduced accordingly.
The Core Members of Abraham House qualify as low income (50% of median income) per the guidelines issued by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Supporters of Abraham House
Grant funding has been provided by the Sisters of St. Joseph Healthcare Foundation, Wells Fargo Foundation, and other grantors. Local churches that have supported Abraham House include Trinity Presbyterian Church, Presbytery of Los Ranchos, and Cathedral Center of St. Paul, Episcopal.
L'Arche Wavecrest also receives numerous contributions from private individuals. Click on the Support Us link to see how you can be a part of this life-changing project.