Emmaus is a homelessness charity providing more than just a bed for the night to people who have experienced homelessness and social exclusion.
We provide a home for as long as someone needs it and meaningful work in our social enterprise. Living in a stable environment with the opportunity to work helps our companions, as residents are known, to regain lost self-esteem and the confidence to get back on their feet.
The first Emmaus Community
The first Emmaus community was founded in Paris, in 1949, by Father Henri-Antoine Grouès, better known as Abbé Pierre. He was an MP, Catholic priest and former member of the French Resistance who fought to provide homes for those who lived on the streets of Paris.
Emmaus in the UK
Emmaus had been established in France for 40 years before it came to the UK in the early 1990s, all thanks to a chance encounter at a Cambridge soup kitchen.
Emmaus International - a global movement
Established in 1971, Emmaus International is now made up of more than 350 groups, in 37 countries, across four regions: Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.
Every Emmaus group is different, tailored to the needs of the country it works in, and are all unified by their commitment to “serve first those who suffer most”, as set out in the Emmaus Universal Manifesto.