Emmaus Hull & East Riding marked its 8th birthday on Sunday 4 February by calling for kindness to support people in need, as part of an international campaign.
Emmaus Hull & East Riding provides a home, training, work opportunities and individual support to people who have experienced homelessness. As part of our birthday activity, we’re campaigning to highlight how ordinary acts of kindness can make an extraordinary difference.
Pops, one of the people supported by Emmaus, has shared how kindness has helped to turn his life around.
Pops said: “After getting a divorce after 14 years of marriage, I ended up on the streets. I committed crime to feed my bad habits. After coming out of jail, I went to a drop-in centre in Scunthorpe which is when they introduced me to Emmaus.
Pops is one of 30 residents supported by Emmaus Hull & East Rising. When people join our residential community, they become Emmaus companions and are offered the opportunity to gain skills, training, confidence, and new experiences.
Pops added: “Emmaus has given me a purpose in life, people to talk to, a lot of wisdom and knowledge. They’ve given me the chance to share and gain skills and I will be forever grateful to Emmaus for giving me that.”
Uprising of Kindness
Thursday 1 February marked the 70th anniversary of Emmaus founder Abbé Pierre’s Uprising of Kindness radio appeal in Paris that sparked an outpouring of generosity and positive change. 70 years on, Emmaus Hull & East Riding is part of a new global Uprising of Kindness, encouraging everyone to be more kind to people in need, your community, the environment and yourself.
Stephanie Cooper, Director of Emmaus Hull & East Riding, said: “Through the kind support people give to Emmaus Hull & East Rising, we’re able to support people in desperate need, helping them to rebuild their lives. Our 8th birthday and the Uprising of Kindness campaign is the perfect opportunity for us to shout about the power of kindness and show how everyone can make a difference to the lives of others.”
To mark the Uprising of Kindness, we have created a kindness tree in the window of our Emmaus Emporium in Hull. Companions, volunteers, staff and customers can add leaves containing words of kindness to the branches. We have also been sharing daily inspirational kind quotes on our community notice board.
The concept of solidarity, helping others in greater need, is central to the Emmaus ethos and one which people at Emmaus Hull & East Riding embrace. In addition to our residential community, we also deliver an outreach service, providing direct support to people who are street homeless.
Find out more about the Emmaus Uprising of Kindness and how to get involved.