Emmaus Paris-style

Emmaus Companions in Paris and London crossed the Channel last week to find out what it means to be part of Emmaus in each others' countries.

Eric and Niels from Association Emmaus in Paris were based at Emmaus South Lambeth for a week, and visited homelessness projects in south London, the Emmaus Communities at Greenwich and Cambridge and the Emmaus UK office in Cambridge.

Above: Nick from Emmaus South Lambeth with Niels and Eric from Association Emmaus outside the Emmaus UK office in Cambridge with Tara O'Hara, Emmaus UK Business Development Adviser.

In Paris, Companions in Association Emmaus play a leading role in the delivery of services to people who are living in temporary accommodation or on the streets, including hundreds of migrants from Afghanistan. There are around 120 Companions in Association Emmaus in Paris, spread around several locations in the city - very different from Emmaus Communities in the UK, which average around 25 Companions.

And the conclusion? Although their day to day experiences might be very different, everyone felt that being part of Emmaus means that they shared a common purpose: to carry on the work started by Abbe Pierre in helping people who were less fortunate than themselves.

Published on 25th January, 2010

"I do talks about Emmaus to a wide variety of audiences. They are always surprised to discover that I once slept rough."