Emmanuel Ministries Calcutta is a Charitable Trust, registered in 1985. It is an umbrella organization serving the poor, marginalized and vulnerable communities in and around the city of Kolkata, seeking to “let each one have his dignity and a chance to be on the road… to freedom.” The diverse array of projects offered by EMC reach out to over 1000 children and their families’ everyday! The approach is holistic with each project providing education, health and hygiene, nutrition, medical assistance, recreation, counselling, vocational training and moral instruction.

 
Projects are both residential and non-residential. Two children’s homes provide love, acceptance and security to children at risk and child addicts enabling them to regain their lost childhood and reach for the stars!

Pavement Club and Community Development Projects provide a doorway to a better future for highly vulnerable street and slum dwelling children through non-formal education (NFE) and vocational training.

Vocational Training Centres provide a means of self-support and empowerment for over 100 women from the slums of Kolkata through tailoring, knitting and paper crafts. Micro-Credit is provided, in partnership with Prana International, to give economic stability to marginalised families where EMC operates. The Community Care Centre provides practical help, emotional support and education for those suffering from stigma and discrimination resulting from HIV/AIDS.

The Calcutta Emmanuel School first opened its doors in 1978 with just a handful of children and only one teacher!
To-day it is an ICSE affiliated school providing English medium education to around 500 children from the poorest sectors of the community absolutely free. The 50-strong team of teachers and administrative staff provide the support and encouragement that the students need to succeed. Extra-curricular activities include Duke of Edinburgh Award and Karate Club.

Arunoday Midway Home was established in 1977 for the treatment and rehabilitation of those dependent on drugs and alcohol, the first of its kind in the Eastern Zone of India. Rehabilitation is based upon abstinence and the holistic approach adopted builds up the physical, emotional and spiritual sides of the individual. Programme leaders and staff are almost entirely recovering substance users with the depth of insight and compassion required to bring about change, allowing residents to be re-integrated into society as contributing members.

Finney Thomas, Chairman – Trustee of Emmanuel Ministries Calcutta, graduated from IIT Kharagpur in 1976 from the Department of Electronics and Electrical
Communications. He was the Vice President of Technology Students’ Gymkhana in 1975-76. Since leaving Larsen & Toubro Ltd after working with them for 11 years, he is now in a business of manufacturing electrical control panels in Kolkata. He is also the Chairman of the Board of Governors of JKPS another NGO working in Kolkata amongst minor girls rescued from trafficking.