I’ve been at Emmaus Hertfordshire for 10 months; I’d approached Stevenage Borough Council and they referred me here.
From Welwyn Garden City to Europe
I was born in Welwyn Garden City but moved to France to live with my grandparents as a child and lived there for 17 years. My aunt had a place in Spain and I moved over there. I worked as a waiter for a year in an Indian restaurant and then I was looking after my grandparents who had moved from France to Spain. I started working as a self-employed translator and then I ran my own business, an internet café in Alicante.
I moved back to the UK in December 2023 as I’d lost my grandparents and my life was going downhill. I couldn’t live like that, so my mum said “why don’t you move back to the UK?”. I thought we could begin a mother-son relationship, but that didn’t work out and I had to move out. I went to the council and they referred me to here.
Speedy referral
Luckily I avoided being homeless as I was given a place very quickly, but it could easily have led to me being homeless. Stevenage Borough Council mentioned Emmaus and contacted them on the Monday and on the Tuesday I had a meeting and on Thursday I moved in!
Coming here really got my spirits up. I’ve now been here for 10 months and I’m mixing with other companions and we’re working well together. I work in the shop, moving furniture around. Sometimes I go on the vans doing collections, deliveries and house clearances. I’ve also worked in the kitchen.
Future hopes and plans
I would like to work in the St Albans workshop where the companions upcycle donated furniture, learning new skills including carpentry, upholstery and furniture restoration.
I did some workshops with the Recover Team, an upcycling charity in Welwyn Garden City, and really enjoyed painting and renewing furniture. I upcycled a chair, a bedside unit and a stool.
Looking ahead to the future I’d like to work in a supermarket or as a waiter, and I’m starting to look for jobs right now, so if I see any opportunities out there, I’ll go for it. They’ve been really helpful here and are supporting me towards moving on. Hopefully, once I get a job I can get my own place.
Emmaus gives you a positive outlook and encourages you to share with others and experience new beginnings. It’s a great community spirit here and good to work alongside the other companions.
My advice to anybody facing or experiencing homelessness is don’t be shy, open up, there’s always someone here to help and to listen. The support workers here are so approachable and helpful, which makes all the difference.