Social Project - SIW 2103: Emmaus Haarzuilens

Our partner, Emmaus Haarzuilens, is situated in the small, beautiful neighbourhood of Haarzuilens. It is very close to Utrecht and also to the famous Castle of Haarzuilens. Emmaus Haarzuilens is a community which provides a home to formerly homeless people, people who have faced financial difficulties, and others who strongly feel related to Emmaus ideology. Within the community the residents work to bring back value to second-hand objects and, at the same time, build their self-esteem. All the people who live at Emmaus work at the second-hand store which also includes a recycling section. The money earned by doing this work is used to finance the community and also for supporting international social projects. Volunteers will not only work, but also live together with the inhabitants of Emmaus Haarzuilens. We therefore want to emphasize that living together also means preparing and eating the meals together and do some cleaning and light household chores. It also means that volunteers are expected to live by the rules of Emmaus; by following the Emmaus philosophy and considering the background of some of the Emmaus residents, use of alcohol is prohibited during working days.