Emmaus Merseyside has shared food gifts to support 70 local children and families as part of a worldwide Uprising of Kindness campaign.
On Thursday 1 February, Emmaus Merseyside purchased and delivered £500 worth of food to children’s charity Ykids and Our Lady, Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School. The donation was made as part of a global Uprising of Kindness campaign and the items will be shared out with 70 local children and families in need.
Stewart, a companion of Emmaus Merseyside who delivered the food gifts, said: “Both the school and Ykids were very grateful for our gifts of kindness and we hope to continue supporting both with food donations and help if they need it. I’m someone who gives help to anyone who needs it and like to help in any way I can. It feels good to be kind.”
Emmaus Merseyside is an award-winning charity that provides a home, training, work opportunities and individual support to people who have experienced homelessness. We are one of 30 Emmaus communities in the UK and part of a worldwide movement of over 400 Emmaus groups, working to help the most excluded and tackle the causes of poverty.
Louisa Jones, Capacity Builder at Ykids, said: “All of the team at Ykids would like to say a HUGE thank you to Emmaus for their donation of food to our Community Pantry. This donation comes at a time when we are struggling with stock levels so it couldn’t have come at a more vital time for us. This will help to make sure we can get food to those most in need during the cost-of-living crisis.”
Be more kind
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. 70 years on, Emmaus is using the anniversary to launch a new Uprising of Kindness campaign, encouraging everyone to #BeMoreKind to people who are homeless, people in need, the environment and themselves.
While at Emmaus, people are given the opportunity for a fresh start, gaining skills and work experience alongside training and personal development. Solidarity is central to the Emmaus ethos and residents of Emmaus communities are encouraged to carry out acts of solidarity to support people in greater need.
Marc Bamber, COO of Emmaus Merseyside, said: “The anniversary of Abbé Pierre’s Uprising of Kindness radio appeal is a great opportunity for us to demonstrate the transformative power of kindness. Through the gifts and food we have shared within our local community, we have showed solidarity with people in need and hopefully inspired kindness in others.”
In 1954, France was experiencing a serious housing crisis. It was a freezing winter and thousands of people were sleeping on the streets. Outraged at the situation, Emmaus founder Abbé Pierre launched a radio appeal that sparked a historic outpouring of generosity and prompted the government to finally take action to protect the homeless.
Learn more about the Emmaus Uprising of Kindness and how to get involved in #BeMoreKind activities.