Welcome to Shekinah Homes Society

As a Live-in Assistant, the journey begins with an invitation to make your home in one of the Shekinah homes. There you will accompany Core Members in their activities of daily life. You must have willingness and be open to learn from and grow with the Core Members. An Assistant's practical responsibilities vary widely according to the needs of Core Members, for example:

	Sharing and teaching life skills such as cooking, shopping, using public transit.
	Accompanying core members to medical appointments or community activities.
	Helping those with physical disabilities to bathe, dress and eat.
	Sharing in household chores, including cleaning, shopping, cooking and driving.
	Working with your Home Coordinator as part of the house team.
	Participating in Shekinah community meetings, events and prayer nights.

What remains constant are two main goals: to create home with the Core Members and to support them in dignified, meaningful activities that enable them to reach their full potential and to share their gifts in the broader local neighborhood and community.

In the first 6 months, you and the community have a chance to discover whether the mutual choice made to come to Shekinah Homes and be welcomed is a sound one for you and the community as you learn about the values, philosophy and way of life in the Shekinah community. As you begin to develop relationships with the people living there, you gradually take on some responsibility for the daily needs.

We ask Assistants to commit for at least one year. Many choose to stay for a longer period of time to deepen their experience of community living within Shekinah . In dialogue with the community, the individual can reevaluate their commitment and stay for longer periods of time as well.

Assistants, living in receive room and board, monthly salary and benefits. To support this commitment, they are given orientation and training.

Consider some of the following benefits of joining Shekinah Homes Society.

First and foremost it's the people :
Shekinah Homes Society is a warm, welcoming, multi-cultural, multi-faith community that attracts individuals who wish to be of service in the L'Arche tradition. Many staff members have been with the organization for over a decade. Others typically stay for anywhere from two to seven years before moving on to other opportunities. All remain part of the Shekinah Homes Society for life, often staying in touch with old friends even when living thousands of miles away.

Second, it's the experience :
Put your education and background to work in a setting that provides wonderful training for a career in health care. Learn leadership skills and the benefits of community life. Many of our Assistants from overseas discover that Shekinah Homes Society is an ideal gateway to a new language and culture.

Third, it's the setting :
Victoria, British Colombia, located on the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island on Canada's west coast, is one of North America's most picturesque cities. Enjoy a mild year-around climate, quick and easy access to nature, and a quality of life that features all the amenities of urban living in a city small enough to have retained its character and charm.

Fourth, it's the inclusive spirit :
Everyone has a voice at Shekinah Homes Society. Decisions are made as a community, sometimes with much spirited debate. We follow contemporary, progressive ideas about what it means to be an intentional community. Our goal: To honor and empower not only our Core Members, but also all who live and work here.

How we recruit

Our decisions are based equally on an applicant's skills and values. Basic health care knowledge and training is essential, including First Aid and CPR training, Safe Food Handling skills, Driving etc.

Yet these functional abilities must be augmented with compassion and patience that contributes to family values. Applicants need to be able to move into a Core Member's reality and to see the world through his or her eyes. In this way, our Assistants relate to each Core Member in a respectful, non-judgmental manner.

“We look for people who understand that there is an art to being with people in a loving, respectful manner,” says one of our Home's Coordinators . “It's important that we live by the heart first, not by putting the people we support into a situation according to their labels and disabilities. Ideally our Assistants will bring love, care and attention to what is as much a way of life as it is a job.”