Advertorial: Emmaus

Visiting an Emmaus secondhand furniture store provides the perfect spring greening opportunity. Every year 3 million re-usable items end up in landfill. By choosing to donate or buy second-hand furniture in an Emmaus store you will be helping to divert some of this waste. Re-using furniture reduces the need for the manufacture of new items which prevents some of the production processes that harm the environment.
Each re-homed wardrobe and each saved sofa will contribute towards supporting Emmaus Communities in which previously unemployed and homeless people live and work. Read more about how to donate furniture to Emmaus.

Making furniture go further

Although all Emmaus shops sell good quality secondhand furniture, the emphasis of each shop is slightly different. Some shops sell mended and tested white goods, or repaired bicycles, or vintage clothes or plants grown in Community gardens and allotments.  Others have craft sections for which volunteers use remnants of fabric and wool to create something new. Still others customise furniture or make bird boxes and planters or transform unwanted video cassettes into works of art.
With a double bed coming in at £45, a chest of drawers at £15 and a sofa at £50, a visit to an Emmaus shop will guarantee you a bargain.

Those seeking quirky and retro pieces that wouldn’t be found elsewhere will not be disappointed either. Stock varies according to what has been donated but recent finds include a 50’s picnic hamper complete with its original napkins, a neat sewing box disguised as an occasional table and a green glass art deco lamp.

Find out more about shopping at Emmaus.

Green Credentials

Recycling is a core value at Emmaus. Local actions can lead to global impact and Emmaus is proud of its green credentials. Many items that can’t be refurbished or mended are stripped down to their component parts and sold as scrap.  Several Emmaus Communities have formed partnerships with area councils and agencies to promote recycling efforts. At Emmaus Carlton, for example, the Community partners with companies who recycle clothing, metals, books and porcelain and with Bedford Borough Council to collect unwanted fridges, freezers and televisions. Abandoned factories, schools and convents become viable again when Emmaus Communities renovate them and move in, also providing a boost to local neighbourhoods and offering both a recycling service and affordable furniture to low income families.

The homeless charity that works

Emmaus has 19 Communities across the UK each with shops either on-site or nearby. Residents of Emmaus Communities are required to sign off unemployment benefit and to work full time at the business of the Community.

Residents are offered the support of peers and staff, training, help to combat addictions and counselling for emotional issues. Rather than assuming that everyone has the same problems, Emmaus aims to treat people as individuals with very individual needs and aspirations
Although a safe place to live is, of course, vital for everyone, simply providing shelter for someone who has been without adequate accommodation for a period of time is sometimes not enough.

Emmaus offers the focus and discipline of work which goes a long way towards restoring in the residents a sense of their own worth and potential and the confidence to believe that they have something positive to offer Dave a resident at an Emmaus Community describes this process; “Having work stops you brooding about the past and it gives you skills that you didn’t have before. Every time I collect something in the van or sell an item in the shop, I know that I am playing a part in my future and the future of the Community. I can look people in the eye now.”

Visit our website to read stories of how Emmaus has helped formerly homeless people to turn their lives around.

Helping homeless people to help themselves and others

There are Emmaus Communities and Emmaus shops near where you live. Next time you need to clear some clutter, complete your collection of glassware or simply want to browse a little and visit a Community cafe you will be very welcome. You can shop or drop safe in the knowledge that your contribution will have a real impact.

Not only do Emmaus Communities pay their own way, but any surplus income generated by the efforts of the residents is donated to other local charities and facilities. Emmaus believes that the only way to truly make a difference in the lives of people who have been marginalised and ignored is to give them the opportunity to help other people. It is this opportunity that transforms lives.

To find out more about Emmaus visit: www.emmaus.org.uk