Getting Help - Apply to join an Emmaus Community
Before completing an application form, please read the following information carefully. We want to be sure that you fully understand what Emmaus is and how we might be able to support you.
About Emmaus
We support people who have experienced homelessness and social exclusion by offering a home and meaningful work. Unlike a hostel, we are a community of people who live and work together, supporting ourselves and one another through our social enterprise. Emmaus is not a religious organisation and we welcome people from all faiths and backgrounds. There is no limit to how long you can stay at an Emmaus community, as long as you agree to take part in community life and follow a few simple rules.
What is it like to live in an Emmaus community?
If you want to live in an Emmaus community we ask that you sign off all benefits, with the exception of housing benefit (we do also accept people with no recourse to public funds), and agree to work for 40 hours per week, to the best of your ability, in our social enterprise. This aims to help you to brush up the skills you might not have used for a while, gain new skills and experience and move forward with your life in a positive way.
What can I expect?
In an Emmaus community everyone has their own room, with communal areas for eating and socialising. During the day, companions, as our residents are known, work in our social enterprises, which are mainly charity shops. The work could include working in the shop, sorting items in the warehouse, going out to make deliveries in our vans, or working in the community home.
Emmaus will provide:
A home for as long as you need it
Clothing, food and a small weekly allowance
Support to overcome any problems you may be experiencing
Work experience, training and support to help you to realise your aspirations and potential
You will be expected to:
Sign off all benefits, with the exception of housing benefit
Work in the charity’s social enterprise for up to 40 hours per week, to the best of your ability
Engage with the support on offer
Take part in community life and support the Emmaus ethos
Please answer all of the questions on this form honestly as this will enable us to make a fair assessment of your application.