Emmaus (safe empowering communities for homeless people)
Just take a few minutes to think about what we often see: go into a major town or city, and you’ll see people literally sleeping on the streets. Often with their loyal dogs.
Councils do what? They install ‘hostile architecture’ (with spikes or devices so homeless people can’t lie down on benches). And free toilets are increasingly banned, so then homeless people have nowhere to visit the toilet. If they go to the loo on the street, it’s classed as a public indecency offence.
We have big homelessness charities, and they have good hearts. But in a country of 67 million people, why do we now have over 350,000 people classed as homeless in England? It’s shocking.
How to immediately help homeless people
If you see someone sleeping rough, send a report to StreetLink, whose outreach teams visit rough sleepers at night, to alert them of support to find benefits and accommodation (if the person is under 18, call 999). Also read about how to help homeless people with dogs (indie shops can sign up for BillyChip that can be given to homeless people to buy food, pet food and hot drinks).
Homeless people can claim benefits, giving the address of a family member/friend, hostel or job centre. This helps to pay for food (and pet food), interview clothes and rent deposits. People without bank accounts can use the government’s Payment Exception Service to collect benefits from post offices or PayPoint outlets.
Emmaus (giving homeless people jobs and homes)
Emmaus is a network of communities across England, that do great work to help homeless people find jobs, paid income and stable homes. People can donate unwanted items (including white goods) to one of their many shops nationwide.
Homeless people are then trained to do up items and create PAT tests to ensure they are safe for resale. The sales at the shops help to fund the work of the charity. People who join an Emmaus community (which can then lead to a long-term home and job) receive:
- A room of their own
- Nutritious meals
- Support for wellbeing
- Training and personal development
- Work experience opportunities
- A small weekly allowance
Some allow dog friends. Check each community as it could differ (for instance, one community has a resident cat who has ‘adopted’ one of the residents, by spending most of the time in his room!)
Examples of how Emmaus helped
- A former teacher from Hungary at risk of becoming homeless, now has a job and is about to move into his own council flat.
- A former heroin addict who lost everything, refused to even set foot at Emmaus at first! He was persuaded, then got a job driving a van to offer food deliveries. He’s now no longer an addict and lives in a beautiful bungalow, having trained as a heating engineer.
- A man who had removed from his home age 13, joined the army but then ended up living on the streets in Southampton. He asked the council for help, but got nowhere. Then he found Emmaus. Today he has a degree in history and politics!
How you can help Emmaus
If you have unwanted white goods or furniture, you can donate them to a local branch. Note that there are strict rules on tags for fire safety (otherwise you’ll have to phone your council for collection if you can’t take items to the tip).
But if items are okay, then donating them helps to provide work experience, jobs and income for Emmaus residents. This also saves thousands of tonnes of items going to landfill each year. If the furniture is just a bit battered, that’s okay as it helps residents do items up in upcycling workshops.
Here’s a list of what Emmaus do accept. Most local Emmaus stores also offer local collection (and some have online eBAY stores to purchase goods, if you don’t live nearby).
There are presently 29 Emmaus communities nationwide, with 20 to 40 companions. But the aim is to use funds raised to build more where they are needed.
Some also run garden centres, selling plants and shrubs, and companions make garden furniture and bespoke planters.
If you live with animal friends, learn more on pet-friendly gardens (and avoid facing indoor foliage to gardens, to help stop birds flying into windows).
