This February at Emmaus Colchester, we’re marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Emmaus movement internationally and sharing kindness with our community.
On the 1st February 1954, Emmaus founder Abbe Pierre broadcasted a call-to-action across French media. He spoke about the increasing levels of homelessness and how people were dying on the street. The appeal was heard and the result created an Uprising of Kindness with unprecedented sums raised by the public. This moment led to the growth of Emmaus communities worldwide, including our own in Colchester.
70 years on we’re campaigning for the public to #BeMoreKind as rates of homelessness and poverty continue to rise. To stand in solidarity and show kindness we’re supporting local organisation, Refugee, Asylum seeker & Migrant Action group (RAMA) with a donation drive of essential items. RAMA support refugees and migrants who are new to the City to integrate and find the help they need. RAMA provided people with dignity and offer everything from advice on the asylum process, school applications, support at doctors’ visits, English lessons, job applications and sourcing furniture to get people settled in their new homes.
Emmaus Colchester regularly support RAMA with solidarity furniture and homeware packages which include everything from beds, to cutlery and white goods that Refugees, Asylum seekers and Migrant’s need when they arrive at their new home with no belongings. We provide this support free of charge to ensure people can feel settled and safe as soon as possible.
Now we need your help! RAMA are urgently seeking essential items for their foodbank and to put into support packages. We’re asking you to donate items to our shops and show kindness to those in need.
Items needed:
- Men’s and women’s toiletries (shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste, razors and deodorant)
- Food bank items (cooking oil, tomato puree, packet noodles, tinned fruit)
- Baby nappies (sizes 3-7 and baby wipes)
All items can be dropped at our Emmaus Works shop, on 8-13 Osborne St, Colchester CO2 7DT. Alternatively, you can donate to RAMA here to help them purchase essential items for the people they support.
We hope you’ll join us in an Uprising of Kindness and choose to make a difference to those in need. Find out more about RAMA here.