I’ve been homeless a few times since I was 18. My parents kicked me out of the house at 18 for going off the tracks a little bit and I made a few other mistakes in my life, but right before Emmaus, I was living in Bristol in a flat for 17 years. I thought I had it all sorted out. I was working in student accommodation as a housekeeper but unfortunately lost that job. When I was signing on to benefits, I was forced into a zero-hour contract that I didn’t want, because I wouldn’t be able to keep up with my rent. That’s exactly what happened, and I lost my flat.

I was homeless for about five months that time during the ‘Beast from the East’ in 2018. It was freezing, but then we had a really good summer, so I had time to defrost, so to speak. I applied for a place at The Salvation Army hostel, but while I was waiting for that I heard about the Emmaus in Bristol. I had stayed at The Salvation Army before, it’s great but you don’t really do anything else except sit on your bum. Both places became available at the same time, and I chose Emmaus because the work experience part seemed more positive and focused. After a few years at Emmaus Bristol, I needed a fresh start so moved to Emmaus Gloucestershire.

Having a purpose and structure

The thing I value most at Emmaus Gloucestershire is the work ethic and getting up every day having something to focus on. There are rules here and I think that’s good in the long run because it’s helped me iron out some issues and I’ve grown because of it.

Up until a few months ago, I had been working in the Nailsworth shop, on the till, helping customers and sorting out donations. I fancied a change and a new challenge, so asked if I could help in the Gloucester superstore. Since being in the superstore, I’ve been trained on how to do collections and deliveries with the fabulous Leo, another companion. I’m still getting the hang of the delivery part, but I’m also working on the till here as well and getting used to pricing up furniture, which I didn’t do much in the Nailsworth shop. It’s a new challenge and I really enjoy it.

The other great thing about working in the superstore is being around other companions more, whereas the Nailsworth shop is more volunteer-focused. At first, I thought working with the companions would be tricky, seeing them in the house and working with them as well, but it’s been the exact opposite actually. It’s helped me understand the other companions more and understand myself more as well.

This is weird to say, but when I go on holiday, I enjoy the break, but towards the end, I just want to get back to my role at Emmaus. I enjoy meeting different customers and working with the companions. In the shop, we get a lot of customers who aren’t very well off, so when we sell them something at a discounted price it feels rewarding because I know I’m helping someone. Helping others is the whole ethos behind Emmaus and it’s really rewarding.

Training and new skills

A couple of months ago, I started a basic sign language course. I know the alphabet and a few words, so I can more or less hold a conversation, but I’m a bit slow at it. If someone came into the shop who uses sign language, I’d be able to do basic communication, and if I got stuck, I could get Leo for anything more advanced as he’s done the higher level. I don’t know if I’ll use it in a job, but I thought it would be a good life skill to have.

Right before I moved to Emmaus Gloucestershire, I completed an adult social care course at the Emmaus in Bristol, so I have that on my resume as well. I’m not sure if I want to go into that line of work, but it’s something I can show employers.

Community living and companionship

As a community, we will do social things every so often. When the Euros were on a few of us would watch it downstairs in the house…and make too much noise and wake the others! We often play pool together too, or just chat about our days, having a moan or celebrating what we’ve done well. It’s good.

I don’t know if I would call myself a private person, but I do love my computer games and cycling, so I will usually come home, chat with people and then either go to my room to play games or out on my bike. We get a lot of games donated, but I’ve been trying to cut down – there are stacks of games in my room nearly as tall as me! My top three favourite games are probably GTA, Mario, and then Mario again!

Next Steps

I’ve been considering moving out this year, but I’m not sure what work I want to go into yet. I’ve had some health issues with my leg that I’m waiting to get sorted out. Once that’s sorted, I’ll get a job and move out. I think the biggest hurdle is when you leave Emmaus; a lot of people think that when you leave with a job and place to live, it’s happily ever after but that’s when all the problems can actually happen. That’s another thing Emmaus helps out with, even when you’ve left you can still ask for support.