Sadly, more people are now at risk of homelessness due to the current cost of living crisis.
Emmaus Leicestershire & Rutland is raising awareness that we have places available for people who are at risk of becoming homeless, currently homeless, or temporarily living in a hotel or hostel. Our charity offers people a home with no time limit, the opportunity to gain skills for later employment, daily support and funded training.
Before moving into Emmaus Leicestershire & Rutland, Tony (pictured second left) experienced street homelessness: “It’s easy to end up homeless, especially if you’re on a low income – if something happens then you haven’t got the savings to stop you falling. When it happened to me I was unable to get to work and ended up losing my job. After a while I couldn’t pay my rent and so got kicked out of my accommodation. With nowhere to go, I lived on the streets for three months.”
When a person joins Emmaus, they are provided with their own bedroom, access to shared social spaces, an allowance and day-to-day support. Meals and normal living expenses are covered by Emmaus as well as training, wellbeing and learning opportunities for personal and professional development, ranging from driving lessons and sporting activities to formal courses and vocational qualifications. To gain work experience and develop new skills, people in our community work up to 40 hours per week to help run our Emporium charity shop on Stockwell Head in Hinckley. They sign off all benefits with the exception of housing benefit, which is claimed by the charity to help fund its work.
Tony is now back on his feet: “Daily life at Emmaus helps you to settle down. You get a room and you’re supported to do what you need to start rebuilding your life. I enjoy working in the shop, especially sorting through bric-a-brac donations and then helping to sell those items. Emmaus really is a lifesaver. It’s not for everybody, but for those who want a second chance and the opportunity to help a charity that’s decent, then this is the place.”
You can find out more about all this on our Join our community page, including information about our application criteria. If you or someone you know could be helped by Emmaus Leicestershire & Rutland, please get in touch on 01455 637587 and ask to speak to a member of the Support Team.