L'Arche Log- Day 7

Hello for the last time! I can't believe the week is over. We have had an incredible time here and are devestated that our time is coming to an end. Today was another fabulous day! We spent the morning talking with Karen about our week and experiences at L'Arche. Due to a chance of plans we headed to Gleaners for a tour. Gleaners is a Christian organization that uses donated vegetables that they dry to make soup mixes. These mixes are then sent to various countries around the world for people who have difficulty obtaining food. It was a truly incredible place! Everyone that works there is a volunteer and they have the process down to a science. They are extremely efficient! The manager, Sherry, told us that they make 25,000 servings of soup everyday! Once we were done we drove back to Hamilton for lunch at another wonderful place, 541 Exchange and Eatery. 541 is a volunteer based cafe. Almost all of the people that work there are volunteers (even some core members)! The food and conversation were wonderful! After a trip back to the Day Program for a little shopping, we went to our homes for the afternoon. Nathan and I were lucky enough to celebrate Laurence's birthday again! We decorated Cornerstone and went to Jack Astors for dinner. We had a great time! After dinner it was time to go to a fundraiser L'Arche was having at 541. Megan and I handled the donations at the door while the rest of the group sold drinks and desserts. We were lucky enough to have Paul (who came for music therapy on Wednesday) singing and playing guitar, and violin. There was also a lot of chatting and eating! Many of the core members came and it was sad to say goodbye to some of them who we won't be seeing tomorrow. On the bright side, we raised over $1,000 for L'Arche Hamilton! Due to Jeb's (and my) persistence we were invited back to Cornerstone to watch Inside Out. Thank you aging for following along all week! I have truly enjoyed telling you about our journey. I am so grateful for this experience. Each of the core members and assistants were truly unforgettable and we are thrilled that we had the opportunity to get to know each and every one of them. I feel as though I can't end the week without a Jean Vanier quote. I noticed one on a sign they had up at the cafe tonight that I feel encompasses what we gained from our time at L'Arche. "When we begin to believe that there is greater joy in working with and for others, rather than just for ourselves, then our society will truly become a place of celebration."