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Emmaus, everyone knows more or less even by name. But then what exactly is it for you ? A place where you can find cheap items ? Some kind of permanent flea market ? Do you know what Emmaus is for ? Do you know why Emmaus exists ? We will see in this article the story, then why shopping or donating at home is important.
The story
The history of Emmaüs began with Abbé Pierre, whose real name was Henri Grouès, in 1949 in Neuilly-Plaisance. He was then a member of parliament for Meurthe-et-Moselle and restored a ruined house to become an international youth hostel. In the autumn of 1949, he met Georges Legay, an ex-bagnard on the verge of suicide, and it was at that moment that Abbé Pierre said to him these words: “I can’t give you anything. But, you who have nothing, instead of dying, come help me to help”.
George will come to help him with the restoration project of the youth hostel, and will help people in need. Community life will be organised in this house around the activity of rag pickers (an activity that is always paramount within Emmaüs).
In the winter of 1954, it was the post-war period and the winter was very harsh. France is facing a very serious housing shortage and has a deficit of 1,200,000 housing units. At that moment, Abbé Pierre decided to launch an appeal for solidarity on Radio Luxembourg. A call to which the population will respond en masse. This will give rise to a very large movement of solidarity.
The popularity of Abbé Pierre and his fellow builders skyrocketed and thus made it around the world. This growing popularity led to the emergence of Emmaüs groups on 4 continents. It was in 1969 that 70 groups from 20 nations met in Bern, Switzerland, to define the principles of their action “Serve First the Most Suffering”. At that meeting, they adopted their Universal Manifesto and decided to create an international liaison secretariat. This led to the birth of Emmaüs International in 1971.
In 1984, the community of Emmaüs de Bruay-la-Buissière created Le Relais, a professional integration association specialized in textile recycling. Since then, Le Relais has become the leading European player in the textile recycling sector, employing more than 2000 people.
In 1988, Abbé Pierre created a foundation for the housing of disadvantaged people : the Abbé Pierre Foundation.
In a few figures
There are 297 groups in France.
122 communities throughout France. They are places of welcome and living that function only thanks to salvaged objects.
18 reception, accommodation and housing structures which also carry out actions such as marauding, access to rights, combating illiteracy, etc.
60 families that are the SOS Families Emmaüs, which help households in great precariousness, and which act in conjunction with social services.
42 committees of friends which carry out the same activity as the communities, and which welcome employees on employment contracts as well as persons carrying out work of general interest. The profits are used for solidarity actions of all kinds within Emmaüs.
52 integration structures which are divided into two categories: integration projects and integration enterprises. These structures make it possible to accompany companions on a long-term basis, and to promote social and professional integration in the long term.
Why buy from Emmaüs ?
The Emmaüs Movement helps people in extreme poverty. By buying from them, we can allow them to have a job, to make a living from that work, to integrate into society, to regain their confidence in themselves!
The total proceeds from the sale of Emmaüs will therefore also be used to help families in great need, whether it be for housing, food, administrative papers, etc. But also for other associations connected with them. It is therefore a local action but also an international one thanks to Emmaüs International, which is helping on several continents.
So yes, buying from Emmaüs also means being responsible because you don’t throw anything away, everything is transformed, redeemed, and resold. We are on a responsible and respectful mode of consumption, we become a consumer actor! Emmaüs is the perfect example of a solidarity and circular economy!
To buy from them you have warehouses, shops but also a superb online store called “Label Emmaüs” which allows everyone to buy books, clothes, handbags, furniture, etc. Have a look HERE
There are tons of shops in France, I’m sure you’ll find one near you. I put you the link of the map: HERE
Why Donate to Emmaüs ?
As you know, we can give at Emmaus and we should instead of throwing away. Giving thus allows companions to work, and to give life to your objects whatever they are. You can donate clothes, furniture, decorative items, etc.
They’ll sell them in their stores or warehouses.
As for very large furniture, sometimes it happens that when you want to give it to them they do not take it. There are several reasons for this: either they have far too much large or large furniture and it takes up a lot of space in their warehouses, or because the large furniture still has a hard time leaving even if it is beautiful. Buyers are becoming scarcer. So for them, the risk is that they end up with very beautiful furniture but too imposing and that this furniture does not find buyers.
If you have bicycles, skates, roller skates, even in medium condition and you don’t dare to give them away, tell yourself that someone who doesn’t have the means will be happy to buy a bicycle for 10 euros or 5 euros and get it back up to date. And, if not sold, perhaps it will be used by a companion who could never have bought one.
Emmaus has also created “Trémma” which is a platform for gifting objects. On this site, you choose the object you want to give away, you select the project that will benefit from the sale of your object, provide as many features as possible of the product in order to sell it at the best, once these steps are completed your object appears on the Label Emmaüs website and can therefore find a buyer. Once the sale has been completed, all you have to do is print the label and drop off your package at the relay point. The money will be donated directly to the project you have selected.
Here is the Trémma website: HERE