What is your name?
Thomas
How long have you been associated with Emmaus Cambridge?
6 weeks
Share a memory you have of your time at Emmaus Cambridge.
Having a weekend barbeque with music in the sunshine, involving the whole group
What is your favourite section of the shop/Community?
I am yet to work in many sections due to the current closure, but it all looks great and am looking forward to serving customers in the café when all is up and running again.
What does solidarity mean to you?
Not only unifying as one within our immediate community but helping the wider community and beyond i.e. other groups and organisations.
Name one celebrity you would like to sit down and have dinner with?
Peter Doherty (Poet, musician, artist)
What does a typical day at Emmaus Cambridge involve for you?
During the pandemic, while much of Emmaus has been closed to the public, I have gone for walks, done artwork or read during the morning and worked during the afternoon such as in the warehouse, painting fences, doing kitchen porter duty etc. In the evening I have chatted to companions as well as watching telly, reading, writing and the like.
What food can you not resist?
I particularly like authentic Indian food.
What is the strangest item in the shop that you have come across?
I have not had the experience of working in the shops during the pandemic although I did notice a ceramic red dragon eying me from the Emporium recently.
What do you feel most grateful for?
My Sister
What’s the one thing you’ve always wanted to do in your life, if you’ve done it how did it make you feel and if not then why not?
I would like to travel through Mexico, paying particular attention to its ancient Aztec culture, but I currently have no passport or the money to do so. I would also like to learn Spanish before going.
What has been your greatest accomplishment so far?
I cycled 65 miles from Cambridge to Wymondham in Norfolk, and then back again a few days later.
What do you value most in a friendship?
Someone who can stimulate your mind and fuel one with positivity, at the same time being sensitive as to when you need your own space. A relatable sense of humour is also of import.
How do you feel about your friendship with fellow staff/ trustees at Emmaus Cambridge?
I always enjoy conversation and passing jests with members of the community, and the staff are also supportive as and when necessary
What’s your favourite hobby?
Art and all it entails i.e. Drawing, painting, reading writing, music. Walks and cycle rides in the countryside I also enjoy.
What’s your favourite animal?
Narwhal (arctic whale with large tusk)
After lockdown what do you hope to have learnt about yourself that maybe you were not aware of before?
I am pretty good at occupying myself creatively and enjoying the seemingly small things in life
Favourite music band?
The Marmozets (current punk/indie band)
If you could choose the one place to isolate, where would it be?
An igloo in the arctic so I could learn how to survive in that environment. And see that back home we really don’t have it so bad during the lockdown.
If you could choose the one person to isolate with, who would it be?
An Eskimo so that he/she could show me the relevant skills (see the answer to question 19).
Who has been the biggest influence in your life so far?
My Mother – She was the voice of sense, and always had positive solutions for any problem
Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
I will likely be still at Emmaus and hope to have made a significant contribution there.
What is your biggest fear?
A large meteorite hitting the earth – a few have flown by recently which would have destroyed us all
If you could be good at something that you are not, what would it be?
Assertively putting my mind to things and following through.
Where is your happy place, and why?
In the middle of an empty meadow under a tree with a book. I would not be bothered.
Describe what Emmaus Cambridge means to you?
Emmaus is a great opportunity for us all who have faced homelessness or barriers to housing and work can unite with a common productive cause. And there is the opportunity to make of it what we will.