I’m originally from Scunthorpe but lost my way back home and my life went totally out of control. I had addictions, I lost my family and eventually ended up homeless and sofa surfing. I got in touch with Emmaus Mossley to get a roof over my head and some help to get my life back on track.
I joined Emmaus in April 2021. The first few days were a bit daunting – coming to a community like this, that I’ve never witnessed before or heard of, and with so many people that I didn’t know. After settling in, I first started working on the van and that was an eye-opener for me, seeing places across Greater Manchester. As well as helping with deliveries and collections on the van, I also worked on donations and on the tills in the Emmaus Mossley Secondhand Superstore.
Whilst I’ve been at Emmaus, I’ve done quite a few training courses including warehousing, customer service, food hygiene and fire safety. I’ve also done some online courses too. Thanks to the Emmaus Companion Training & Wellbeing Fund, I was able to get my first passport and travel abroad for the first time. I’ve done a lot of volunteering, been to Bosnia, completed a fundraising walk for FareShare, volunteered in Mossley and visited Romania too.
Confidence and a new beginning
Emmaus Mossley’s community is such a fantastic place. Everybody gets on with each other – we’re all there to help each other and the staff are here for you whenever you need them. I’ve really developed a lot in the past three years and turned my life around from what it used to be. The main thing it has given me is confidence – confidence to go out there and talk to people.
Looking ahead, my next steps are moving out of Emmaus and back home to my family. I’ve rekindled my relationship with my partner and the children. We’ve had a couple of holidays together and decided it’s time to give it another go. It is a bit daunting moving back but I just need to be strong and have that confidence. I’m really looking forward to seeing my children, especially as it’s that time of year with Christmas coming up.
I know I’m going to miss everything about this community. If I see someone else struggling, I would point them in the direction of Emmaus because of what they’ve done, not just for me, but for everyone they help. There is help out there and all someone has to do is pick up that phone and be persistent.
A big thank you to everyone I’ve met whilst I’ve been at Emmaus. I’ve said a lot of goodbyes this week to fellow companions, volunteers, staff, customers and people I’ve got to know over the past three years. Just coming into Emmaus and having a chat to people when you visit makes a big difference.