Emmaus
Emmaus
Emmaus is a homeless charity founded in France in 1949 by the priest Abb© Pierre (Henri Grouè, 1912 – 2007), a former member of the French Resistance. This charity is involved in numerous activities around the world but in the UK it provides a home and work, usually collecting, sorting and reselling donated furniture and household goods. Having been called to a desperate man who had attempted suicide, l’Abb© proposed that the man come and help him – to help others even worse off, to build shelters for homeless families. That day Georges (as he was called) received the only thing he really needed – not the means of living but a reason to live. A principle was born: “We will never accept that our livelihood depends on anything than our work.” In 1954 in a terrible winter, thousands of homeless people were sleeping on the Paris streets: evicted, a woman died of cold in the street and a baby in a caravan. L’Abb© launched a radio appeal that set off a “goodwill uprising”.
Now Emmaus is active in over 300 Communities world-wide. It arrived in the UK at Cambridge in 1992, and now there are 19 Communities here with many others also in the course of formation. New Communities are set up by local people seeing a need in their areas. Returning self-respect to the homeless, it’s outlook may be summed up by the phrase – “a bed to sleep in – and a good reason to get up out of it.” More information can be found on the website.
It takes its name from the incident on the day after Easter recorded in Luke 24:13 to 35, when the risen Jesus appeared at Emmaus to two of the disciples and thus revived their hope and returned to Jerusalem to share the Good News. Although a secular organisation, Communities around the world have nevertheless kept the name because of its symbolism: these are places where people can regain hope for the future.