Kendyl Hair, Ananda

by Josie Ruiz

In summer of 2013, Kendyl and her parents showed interest in L’Arche and wanted her to be a part of this community so she began to move into Farmhouse. 

She lived there until September 2023 when she moved into Ananda. Kendyl is an AMAZING friend to everyone she meets. She has such a big heart and is always excited to jump into any project you ask. 

She takes pride in noticing the needs of others and she tries to be a part of that. She is a diligent teacher of ASL so others can communicate well with her and so patient with new assistants and immersion groups. 

Kendyl surprises us every week about how thoughtful she is and how invested she is in everyone’s growth and change in this community. She celebrates all the little things and makes everyone laugh and smile. 

Kendyl spends a lot of time crocheting and hanging with friends and her boyfriend Tony. We are beyond grateful for the mark she leaves her at L’Arche Tahoma Hope! 

“Bearing Witness to Humanity”

by Harper Smith, Hopespring Assistant

It’s easy to forget
why we began,
how much it once mattered,
how much it still does.

Days blur together.
Hands keep moving even when the heart is heavy.
We learn the patterns, the shortcuts,
the ways to survive without feeling too much.

Routine settles in.
Habit takes over.
And the beautiful chaos around us
starts to feel like noise instead of meaning.

But somewhere beneath the exhaustion,
the reason is still there.
The reason we chose this.
The reason we stay.

We serve not because it is easy,
but because someone needs to be seen,
to be treated as more than a task,
more than a number, more than a moment.

And in helping hold onto their humanity,
we are holding onto our own—
reminding ourselves that compassion
is not weakness,
that care is not something to be ashamed of.

Do it for them
when they cannot do it for themselves.
Do it for them
when the system forgets.

But also do it for you.
Do it so you don’t forget who you are
beneath the titles, the uniforms, the expectations.
Do it so the tired parts of you
still recognize the human looking back.

You are allowed to feel.
You are allowed to be worn down without losing yourself.
You are allowed to matter.

Remember this:
You are human.

And your humanity is worth protecting, too.