I joined Emmaus Merseyside in July 2021 after sleeping rough. Less than nine months later, I got offered a new job and a place to live on the very same day.
I became homeless due to a relationship breakdown and needing to move out of the house I was in. At that point, I didn’t know where to go. I could have asked people for help but didn’t. The situation I was in, made me feel horrible. I was literally sleeping on the streets for days but luckily, I came across some outreach workers who recommended Emmaus.
They gave me the address of Emmaus Merseyside and I walked past it thinking, do I go in or do I not. I thought about it and then decided, I had nothing to lose so went in. Straight away I was welcomed and moving in here was great. At first, I was just trying to settle myself down as I’d never been in a place like this before. It was a bit exciting for me because there were loads of new people and I got to know everyone pretty much straight away. It was a good atmosphere – it was summertime so there was a good buzz in here.
Changing my routine
I started off working in the Charity Superstore, in the office, warehouse, and out on the van, collecting and delivering items. I’d never worked in an office before, and I got pretty good at that which I was made up with. The main thing I got out of working in the Superstore was experience with the general public, organising the vans, scheduling and making sure the routes were efficient.
Before joining Emmaus and when I was living on my own, like many people, I used to go to work and then have a few cans every night. I didn’t realise I was doing it at the time. After I’d settled into Emmaus, I was going to work every day but after work, I’d go down the beach and drink a bit too much. A few incidents happened and it started to show up with the support staff.
The staff got me in touch with Ambition Sefton and I started an intuitive thinking course with them. I went on that course and it just changed my outlook, I learned loads. The course was about drinking and how your brain works but what I learned could be applied to any addiction. After that, Ambition enrolled me on a forklift truck course and warehouse course, so I gained those qualifications too.
A pretty amazing day
Whilst I was doing the courses with Ambition, I applied to Property Pool Plus to get my own place. I started bidding on properties in early December but was getting nowhere. My plan for 2022 was to start work and save up for a deposit for a house. I got back in touch with my old boss to see if there were any jobs going. On the same day, in the morning I was told I got my job back and, in the afternoon, Property Pool rang me to offer me a house I’d bid on a few weeks back. I was like a Cheshire cat that day.
I’ve started back as a port operative, unloading ships down at the docks. I was trained on all the machinery last time and they’ve since took on loads of new staff so I’ll be getting trained up to be a trainer. My goal now I’ve started work is to get my flat sorted and see my kids more often. Everything’s a bit dark and depressing when you hit struggles in life but there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. If you put your mind to it and focus, you can achieve anything. I have – I’ve got everything back and a bit more too.
Grateful for the support
I think the main thing Emmaus gave me was motivation. The fact that you have to work as well is good for your mental health. The staff at Emmaus have helped with everything. They helped me get my place, motivated me to get up for work and just helped loads. The staff believed in me and gave me a couple of chances when it could’ve gone the other way. They had faith that I could do it and made me believe in myself.
The other companions have helped me a lot too. When someone has a down day, there are people there to bring each other up. Everyone needs a chat and with people around all the time, it keeps you busy. When I get days off from my new job, I’ve asked if I could come back to volunteer and see everyone.
I’d like to thank all the Emmaus supporters because they do a lot. The Superstore gets a lot of donations and customers, and basically the money funds the support given to people at the community home in Seaforth.
*This person wished to remain anonymous, so we have used a pseudonym to protect his privacy.