What is the Emmaus GIFT Fund?

The Emmaus GIFT Fund is a love offering for emerging Emmaus Ministries communities around the world, providing support to these communities and to their regional representatives. Currently, there are seven emerging communities: Kenya, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Poland, and Bulgaria. It takes three to five years to develop a community outside of the United States, and it typically costs $80,000.

For a new community to emerge, clergy and lay leaders are first invited to participate in a Walk with a healthy, established community; oftentimes, the closest community is an ocean away. The expense of such travel—and the cost of resources—is beyond reach for people in many parts of the world. At least 20 individuals (10 men and 10 women) need to have participated in a Walk in order to later lead a successful Walk in their home country.

Regional representatives are located around the world for the purpose of strengthening existing communities and helping emerging communities with leadership development, training, and resource guidance.

Did you know?

Each Emmaus community signs a written covenant to support emerging communities through the Emmaus GIFT Fund? Over the years, we have seen that existing communities are strengthened and energized when they help new communities emerge.

View the list of of resources to help raise awareness about the GIFT fund with your community.