Oblate News
Tabor House and the Friends of St Eugene Looking after the homeless in Tabor House
Tabor House is Birmingham’s only permanent all year round shelter for homeless men and women. It is housed on the first floor of St. Anne’s parish club and it can accommodate 15 guests.
It started in September 2017 with 6 guests and it now has 9 guests. Each guest is allocated a Volunteer Mentor who supports them holistically on a one-to-one basis for 3 months.
The aim is to build on their skills, strengths and ambitions and to empower them to take control of their lives, and further eventually to find suitable employment and independent living housing.
Some guests have found employment and have settled in well. Others have been repatriated and reunited with their families. Each day 9 volunteers cover three shifts and they look after the guests and 4 of the volunteers are Friends of St. Eugene.
The guests arrive at 7.30pm to a hot meal in their home at Tabor House. There are facilities for them to take a shower, to relax, to watch TV and to do their own laundry in a warm and pleasant atmosphere.
They go out to work between 6 o’clock and 9 o’clock in the morning. They seem very happy. They can now visualise some future for themselves and their families. We all have great hope for them and the Tabor House project.
– Kathleen Mullin
Friends of St Eugene
Friends of St. Eugene embrace their baptismal call inspired by the life, work and spirit of St. Eugene. The Friends share a unique partnership with the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate as they come to know St. Eugene and discover how his spirit speaks to all of us today. Like the early Christian communities, each Friends of St. Eugene group meets regularly to reflect, pray, share and respond to the community’s needs. Though united in their commitment to spread Jesus’ love to each other and to the world, yet each group reflects the Oblate charism in its own way.
Read more about the Friends of St Eugene here.
Tags: Birmingham, Eugene, homeless, Homelessness, St Eugene, tabor
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