At Emmaus Gloucestershire, solidarity is at the heart of everything we do. To us, it means paying it forward and helping others in need.
For our companions (the people we support at our homelessness charity), engaging in acts of solidarity can make a huge difference to their self-esteem, proving that everyone has the power to help someone else. That’s why we were so excited to relaunch our Solidarity Committee in 2024. This committee empowers companions to take the lead in deciding how we support local, national, and international causes, giving them the chance to give back in a meaningful way.
Homeless provision outreach
We provide ongoing solidarity through our homeless provision outreach, supplying essential items to various charities including Kingfisher Treasure Seekers SWEP, GL11, Community Hub, Marah Trust, Gloucester City Mission and P3 to distribute to those in need throughout Gloucestershire.
Interested in supporting our homeless provision outreach work? If you would like to support our homeless provision outreach by donating items, please scroll to the end of this page for a list of items we need. Thank you!
Supporting local organisations
We aim to support as many local organisations as we can, with our companions taking the lead on choosing. Solidarity highlights from 2024 include:
We supported Cheltenham Open Door, a brilliant local charity that provides food, friendship, and support to vulnerable people. We acted as a drop-off point for their Christmas Appeal, collecting food donations like tinned meals, chocolate, biscuits, and other essentials, and donated essential items to their winter homeless provision. sleeping rough, through our partner organisations.
Another highlight was distributing ‘Packed With Love’ gift bags, which companion Filipe delivered to Gloucester City Mission and companion Martin took to CCP Charity. Companion Filipe also supported CCP’s appeal for children’s Christmas gifts by dropping off a range of items!
We also supported relief efforts in Ukraine by assisting Aid for Ukraine Gloucestershire and Veselyi Family Charitable Foundation by donating essential items like toiletries, sleeping bags, tents, and torches to be transported to Ukraine and distributed to those in need.
Interested in supporting our Homeless Provision Outreach work? We accept donations from the public throughout year, with donations varying depending on weather. All donations can be dropped off at any of our five shops across Gloucestershire between Monday to Saturday, 9am – 5pm. Thank you!
October – April: Winter Appeal
- Backpacks (80L or bigger)
- Thermal base layer clothing
- Underwear
- Waterproof ponchos
- Bivvy bags
- Gloves, hats, scarves
- Winter sleeping bags
- Disposable razors
- Face-wipes
- Hand/body lotion
- Tissues
- Plasters
- Toothbrushes/toothpaste
- Sanitary products
April – September: Summer Appeal
- Backpacks
- Sleeping bags
- Sunscreen
- Disposable razors
- Face-wipes
- Hand/body lotion
- Re-usable water bottles
- Baseball caps
- Soap
- Plasters
- Toothbrushes
- Underwear
- Sanitary products
All year: Dog Packs
- Dog food
- Small toys
All year: P.A.N.T.S Appeal
The P.A.N.T.S appeal – People Always Need Their Smalls aims to ensure rough sleepers have access to items that others many take for granted.
- Packs of underwear both male and female
- Bras/sports bras of all sizes
- Sanitary products
- Socks