Emmaus (charity)

Emmaus (charity)

Emmaus (French: Emmaüs) is an international charitable movement founded in France in 1949 by the priest Abbé Pierre to combat poverty and homelessness.

Since 1971 regional and national initiatives have been grouped under a parent organisation, Emmaus International, now run by Jean Rousseau, representing 310 groups in 36 countries, offering a range of charitable services.

Emmaus is not a religious organisation, but Communities around the world have kept the name because of its symbolism. The biblical story, found in the Gospel of Luke, describes how two men saw the resurrected Jesus at the town of Emmaus, and so regained hope. Emmaus is a secular organisation which embraces people from all backgrounds, and retains its biblical name to represent the way that Emmaus Communities are places where people can regain hope for the future.

The organization's goals can be found in the Universal Manifesto of Emmaus International:

Our guiding principle is one which is essential to the whole human race if there is to be any life worth living, and any true peace and happiness either for the individual or society: Serve those worse off than yourself before yourself. Serve the most needy first.