Thrift Shops and Alligators - a letter from America

Experienced Emmaus Community Staff Paul and Jane Bain are travelling the Eastern Seaboard of the USA to promote the development of Emmaus. Having arrived safely in North Carolina, Jane writes:

It is a very strange place. It is endless roads of prefabs and shopping malls and looks as though someone from outerspace just came down one night and plonked it here. There is no infrastructure, no town centre, parks or anything. No one walks anywhere at all… Nearly all the local people live in trailers or small prefabs.

In their first week, Paul and Jane met with the Trustees of Emmaus White Oak (pictured above), a new project founded in 2007 near the town of Maysville. Using their experience of developing the Emmaus Cambridge Community in the UK, Paul and Jane are advising the project about how to build local support. So far the project has things to sell but not many customers and is only doing occasional pick-ups in a truck bought with a donation from Emmaus Cambridge.

Week 2 - 8th September
Paul and Jane visited a local ‘thrift’ shop run by a project called ‘Hem of His garment’ which concentrates on selling donated clothes.

This is a large catholic run operation, much like an Emmaus shop but concentrating on clothes. Entirely run by volunteers, mostly from the Church. They pick up in the local area and sell predominently to poor families… It’s clean and well presented and we were well received. They are not worried about competition as they cannot fufill demand and Emmaus would concentrate in a different area and would not sell clothes.

Plans for the development of the Emmaus Community are now focussed on raising local profile, then opening a small shop. Money raised from the shop will be used to help local families living on the breadline, through goods in-kind and grants.

There is little evidence of street homelessness in Jacksonville… but thousands living in abject poverty in shacks with no running water or electricity, black and white.

Emmaus White Oak are also committed to playing their part in the international solidarity work of Emmaus and would like to take part in the container programme - filling a container of goods to be shipped out to Emmaus Communities elsewhere in the world that struggle to find donated goods to sell.

Went to Wilmington and had a drink in a coffee bar called the ‘Soapbox’ which combines a bar and a launderette. It is an idea I’m thinking of importing to the UK… Saw a dead alligator on the side of the road on the way home.

Week 3 - 14th September

A week of visits! Paul and Jane visited Onslow Community Ministries who run a nightshelter, feeding centre and soup runs; the Onslow Community Health Improvement Programme, which helps people without health insurance, and the Goodwill Cooperative Foundation - a chain of secondhand clothes stores whose proceeds are used to help disabled or disadvantaged people get back to work.

On to Raleigh, capital of North Carolina. Jane and Penny from Emmaus White Oak visited Raleigh Rescue. Jane writes:

Raleigh Rescue was founded about 45 years ago and is a member of the Association of Gospel rescue Missions across the USA. It is a seriously impressive project running a nightshelter for men, women and children, food kitchen, medical clinic, health respite centre (for those being discharged from hospital and homeless), children's day nursery and street outreach and all funded by donation or money with 'no strings attached'. They refuse to seek funding from State or elsewhere that compromises how they want to work. It is completely Christian faith led but much about its principles is in common with Emmaus. 

Weeks 4 and 5 - 28th September

Up the road (a mere 5 hours up the interstate!) to Richmond Virginia.

The city is surrounded by a sort of looping spaghetti junction, a bit like Birmingham. Every day I am filled with admiration for Paul's fearless approach to the driving here.

Jane and Paul visited the Daily Planet project which runs a 21 bed facility for people discharged from hospital who have nowhere to go, and has an additional 21 beds for people with severe mental health problems._

Jane and Paul met several times with Richmond Rotary. Their president turned up in an Emmaus cap and badge!

Week 6 - 5th October

Another busy week. In Washington DC, Jane and Paul met up with the National Homeless Coalition and held a lively, well attended meeting with the Baltimore Rotary Club.

Baltimore is a fascinating city. Only 750,000 people but seems much bigger. More than 70% are African American and poverty levels are very high. There are huge numbers of people on the streets, many with profound mental health problems however the city has a kind of gritty charm that I really liked.

The National Association to end Homelessness in Washington DC is particularly interested in long-term strategies for housing and reintegration: We loved this project. It has its finger on the pulse of Baltimore and delivers non-religious services where it sees need. It’s respectful, respected and innovative. At the top of the building they run an employment academy for homeless men.

Hard to believe that 7 days ago we were at a meeting on Baltimore harbour where it was 85ºF. By this morning there were 6 inches of snow on the ground!

Week 7 - 12th October

On to Philadephia where there are hundreds of entrenched rough sleepers on the streets of Philadelphia. The nightshelter has some 300 beds and there are still an estimated 500 people sleeping out on any one night. Many of them have profound mental health problems and/or dependencies and a significant majority are African/American or Black.

Paul and Jane spent a day with Philadelphia H.O.M.E. (not to be confused with H.O.M.E in Maine) where they met with Karen Subach, their associate director, and Sr. Mary Scullion their founder. Sister Mary is known as the Mother Theresa of Philly and she has made the top 100 list of most influential Americans more than once. H.O.M.E is a massive organisation, providing a first stop for food and so, on but predominantly temporary housing and 'move on'.

The Philadelphia Association to end Homelessness, in the same part of the city as H.O.M.E., is much less mainstream. Paul and Jane met with Phyllis Ryan Lackson, who runs the organisation.

It operates a drop in centre where on average 100 homeless people come each morning to shower, get clothes, use the phone etc. They also do outreach but mainly they broker deals for people between social landlords and potential tenants from the homeless community. This organisation is outspoken and courageous.

Thrift Shops and Alligators - a letter from America

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