A big thank you to Spanish university student Óscar Páramo-Telle, who recently volunteered in our community. Óscar, who is studying for a PhD in Circular Economy at the University of Santiago de Compostela, stayed with us for a couple of weeks last month to volunteer and practice his English skills.
I think the most enjoyable part of my time at Emmaus Cambridge was being a member of the community. I was involved in different tasks, shared various conversations during lunches and dinners with different people, and learned about a wide variety of experiences.
I learned the importance of involving people in work, giving them the opportunity to feel important and to understand that everyone is an essential part of improving the Emmaus community.
Supportive environment
I was surprised by how everyone supports the needs of others. I observed that they were living like a family, where they could be happy and share fun moments, but also support each other in difficult times.
In general, I was surprised by the positive environment in the community. Furthermore, relating my experience to my academic research, I can confirm that this social enterprise here is an effective business initiative to reduce material consumption, extend product life, and combat homelessness.
Thank you very much for the opportunity to get to know Emmaus Cambridge. I hope to stay in touch in the future with my new friends in the community.
Donna Talbot, our Chief Executive Officer said:
“A huge thank you to Óscar for volunteering with us, it was a pleasure to host Óscar in our community. In his time here, Óscar spent time volunteering in many areas and also treated companions, staff and volunteers with a lunch of Spanish Tortilla, bringing some of his local cuisine to Cambridge, which was a lovely gesture.
“It is wonderful to be part of Óscar’s personal and professional growth and now Óscar has returned to Spain for his exam, we wish him the best with his result and his future endeavours.”