The intention of making the world a better place
Jean Vanier said, “Those we most often exclude from the normal life of society, people with disabilities, have profound lessons to teach us.”
Thirty-seven years ago, the first L’Arche Homefires dwelling began to be developed in Wolfville. Keith Strong, who just died, was one of the first core members, along with John MacNeil. Keith, who was in his early 60s, was such a character.
His recent battle with Alzheimer’s has dimmed the memories I have of him as an Elvis impersonator, for example, but Keith was unforgettable.
Often, it was Keith who made friendly speeches at important community events. His words were often unintelligible, but he con- veyed meaning in body language and emphasis. You just knew his heart was in the right place
I will never forget him at the dance to celebrate L’Arche Homefires’ 25th birthday. The dance was held at St. Joseph’s church in Kentville, so the dance floor was spacious and the band was hot. We took my visiting brother and his girlfriend. We’re not sure why Keith singled petite Ingrid out as a dance partner, but he somehow explained to her that her talents were required for the evening. And they had fun.
As his obituary pointed out, Keith changed the lives of hundreds of people, welcoming them with a firm handshake and proudly showing them his home and community.
Keith enjoyed many things: Subway, Elvis, politicians, Toronto Maple Leafs, a beer as he watched hockey, prayer, bowling, stretch limos, people in uniform, dancing and friends.
L’Arche Homefires is a com- munity today, with five homes for 20 core members, along with assistants from all over the world. Wolfville is better for having these unique people live among us.
The other evening at the Wolfville Farmers’ Market, Jennifer Parker was gliding between the tables as Steve Lee played his guitar. When I first met Jennifer, she wore a helmet due to the head banging that was provoked by institutional living. Now, she’s able to show her love of music. It made me happy to see her quiet joy.
Watching tiny Heather Pineo work the room is special too. At the Wolfville Nursing Home once, she leaned in and spoke to several of the wheelchair-bound elderly women. I remember her stopping to whisper by the late Evelyn Lightfoot’s chair. Then, Heather leaned in and kissed the grinning matriarch, who was over 100 at the time. It was touching.
With the successful conclusion last fall of the Building Our Dream campaign, the L’Arche community is nicely settled into its new $2.6 million home after a decade of planning and fundraising. Accessibility and added space are hugely positive factors.
According to director Ingrid Blais, the best part for her was day one in the new building, when her friend Krystle Wadman came up in the elevator in her wheelchair to visit and check out the view from the third floor. It was always about making life better for the core members.
After all, Homefires is termed an intentional community where people with and without disabilities live together creating home, working together and building relationships. I often think of the assistants, who come from all over the world, as special volunteers in that community. They commit to living, for at least a year, with a variety of persons who have a developmental disability and, like Keith, could be reaching advanced old age.
Vanier, who helped found a network of more than 140 L’Arche communities in 40 countries, based his vision on this edict, “Love doesn’t mean doing extraordinary or heroic things. It means knowing how to do ordinary things with tenderness.”
I thought of that sentiment last week when CBC reported that the provincial ombudsman is going to court to seek information about the treatment of an intellectually disabled man by the N.S. Department of Health and Wellness.
This unnamed 64-year-old man was found locked up in a Grand Pré home in 2016. The individual found guilty of his unlawful confinement and neglect received a conditional discharge with six months of probation.
Ombudsman Bill Smith indicated he was disappointed to have to ask the courts for information. Too true. The case makes L’Arche Homefires shine even brighter by comparison.