June 16, 2008 Emmaus - 2008 Play video

(NECN) - Champions in Action -- Each quarter a non-profit agency receives the honor from Citizens Bank and NECN. This quarter Emmaus has earned the honor.

Since the 1980's the non-profit has helped more than 17,000 children, women and men who were homeless. They helped the homeless toward permanent housing, jobs, and independent living.

From Citizens Emmaus received a $25,000 check, and from NECN a campaign of public service announcements. NECN's Leslie Gaydos has the story.

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Catherine Embree is proud of her plants.

“My idea of living at the top of the world is living in a garden apartment, and that is what I've got. Everything just thrives here. Look at my orchids...isn't that beautiful?”

Her garden apartment is small, but she loves it. This is her haven -- where she is surrounded by her plants, her pets, old photos, and her beloved keys.

“Did you know that when you become homeless, you lose all your keys? Holding a set of keys just makes you feel, ‘I have somewhere to go. I am somebody.’ It is amazing -- little bits of metal like this can make you so happy!”

Embree was a career bus driver until major health problems kept her from working. She lost everything and ended up in Haverhill, Massachusetts -- at a place called Emmaus.

“Most folks come into Emmaus through one of our emergency shelter programs. That's how we find out about them. Then, what our mission is is to find and create

a solution, which for every family or individual that's homeless is to try to find them affordable housing and find permanent housing so that will help to end that cycle of poverty. In addition to that, we offer job training programs, we have counseling, we have case management -- other types of things that go on here.

Emmaus is a non-profit community housing development organization and service provider. For 22 years, it has come to the aid of people who are experiencing the crisis of homelessness – like Catherine.

“They really went to bat to get me proper medical insurance and get my prescriptions right. I would do anything for Emmaus House right now. I really would – it’s just a life saver.”

Emmaus operates thirteen programs located in seven buildings that help individuals and families who are on the extreme low end of the poverty index. Clients team up with counselors and devise a plan to find a permanent housing solution that fits their needs.

The staff here is a support network -- doing everything from helping clients to apply for benefits, to giving them advice on how to cook a Thanksgiving turkey. Some have even served as birthing coaches.

Most of the 1700 people Emmaus assists every year will be successfully reintegrated back into the community.

“We believe that everyone deserves to have permanent housing. To take it a step forward, we really believe it should be a right of everyone in the community, everyone in the country, that they should have the right to housing. But unfortunately that isn't the case. But, we firmly are working towards that goal and do believe that no one should be living in an emergency shelter or living on the street.”

Emmaus is constantly evolving to fit the needs of the community. After seeing an increasing number of older people coming through the emergency shelter, plans were devised for a 20-unit elderly housing complex to be built this year. Formerly homeless elders will have access to on site services and a comfortable place to live out their golden years.

“A lot of people are blessed with family and friends, a close safety network. But there are a lot of people who don't have that. When you fall on hard times, become ill, can't work and don't have health insurance -- you're only a step away from being homeless.

“This is my latest project...this is for my daughter Robin.”

60-year-old Elaine St. Cyr would never have predicted that she would end up homeless. College educated with a masters degree, she worked in the human services field for 43 years before she had major health problems.

“It was very scary. I'm a single woman, my kids are grown, they have kids of their own. I had saved for retirement and that was all gone, you know, and you never think that's going to happen to you, that you're going to be the one. But all it took was my health going downhill.”

She's had this apartment for two years now...

“It is my safety, my security and my happiness -- and the fact that I could keep my cat. She's going to be 15 this summer, and to have to give her up after everything we have been through.

“How do you feel about Emmaus?” “I don't know where I would be without them.”

Gretchen Arntz is one of Emmaus' original board members, and after two decades of work, she sees its impact.

“We can see a reduction in the number of people on the streets, the number of people in our emergency shelters -- we can really see the results. And that is so motivating for those of us who work at Emmaus and love the mission.”

“It is about living in a compassionate society -- living in a civilized society. We just hope that as we go along we are bringing forward that agenda or that goal.”

“It may sound simplistic -- that's what it is all about -- helping one another, extending that hand that all of us at some point in our life need.”

And for extending that hand to so many -- Emmaus in Haverhill, Massachusetts is our Champion in Action.