Three people who were street homeless have been offered a place to live and work by Emmaus Salford – a charity supporting formerly homeless people.
Emmaus Salford currently supports 12 previously homeless people, known as companions, by providing them with a stable home and meaningful work for as long as they need it. The charity has its main base at Emmaus House on Fitzwarren Street where it runs a social enterprise selling donated furniture, clothes, books, bikes and household goods. This social enterprise funds the community and offers work and the opportunity to contribute to the people that it supports.
Michael, originally from Salford, is one of the new companions at the Emmaus community. Michael commented: “Being offered a place at Emmaus was a godsend. It came at just the right time and everything fell into place. It’s good to be part of a community again and not on the outside.”
The three new companions officially joined the charity following a one week stay at Emmaus House when a local night shelter was temporarily closed. Emmaus does not offer short term stays but the community was keen to make an exception and offer support to people who would otherwise have had to stay on the streets during a wet November week.
Simon Locke, Community Leader at Emmaus Salford, said: “We are very pleased to welcome the new companions to Emmaus Salford and look forward to helping them move forward with their lives.”
“Our current companions were really keen to show solidarity and offer support to these people. During their initial one week stay our established companions made them feel part of our community and explained more about the benefits of joining Emmaus Salford on a permanent basis.”
For more information, to make a donation or get involved call 0161 737 8279 or visit Emmaus Salford at Emmaus House, 101 Fitzwarren Street, Salford, M6 5RQ.
