Companions team up for Paris Salon
A team of formerly homeless people from Emmaus Leeds have visited Paris, France on June 5th to take part in a Europe-wide charity sale to raise money for charitable projects worldwide.
Four companions – formerly homeless people who live and work at Emmaus Leeds – and two staff members teamed up with Emmaus Mossley to fill a van with donated items to sell at the Emmaus Paris Salon. This annual event brings together over 120 Emmaus communities from across Europe in one big charity sale in the French capital.
“The Emmaus Salon was an amazing experience, from all the great people to the city and the food. I thoroughly enjoyed it and had a great time, for a good cause.”
Nick, a companion at Emmaus Leeds
The concept of solidarity, helping others less fortunate than yourself, is a central ethos of Emmaus and a motivation for all the communities taking part in the Paris Salon. In 2015, the Paris Salon attracted 28,000 visitors on a single day and generated more than 200,000 Euros for international solidarity projects in Latin America, Asia, Europe and Africa.
“This year’s Emmaus Paris Salon was a fantastic event and a great experience for all those who took part. Our team put in a lot of hard work before and during the event but it’s satisfying to know that our efforts will support projects and people in many different countries.”
Paul Cloke, Deputy Community Leader at Emmaus Leeds
Emmaus Leeds supports 26 formerly homeless people by providing them with a stable home and meaningful work for as long as they need it. The charity has its main community base and social enterprise on St Mary’s Street and runs two additional shops at Kirkgate Market, selling a wide range of donated furniture, clothes, books, bikes, household goods and upcycled products.
