Life before Emmaus.
I first came to Emmaus in 2016. I had been a successful businessman with a good standard of living. After my divorce I entered into a new relationship. I had changed careers, but unfortunately I lost money on that venture. My anxiety led to drinking more heavily and the relationship suffered. At the time my partner and I parted company my father passed away. Depression exacerbated the heavy drinking which cost me my job and I found myself homeless and living with my mother and stepfather. A subsequent relationship ended badly and the drinking took hold again despite regular visits to A.A.
Making a new start with Emmaus
I had become very depressed and concerns were raised about my mental health. I had been sleeping in my car and just trying to survive. A charity in Northampton then put me in touch with Emmaus Coventry and I secured a place there. I was asked to leave there after breaking rules around alcohol. At this point I was reduced to sofa surfing and staying at the Salvation Army night shelter. I secured a room at a permanent hostel just before Christmas 2017.
I was in touch with a previous support worker I had met at Coventry and they had moved to Emmaus Village Carlton near Bedford, and with his help, I was offered a place there. Things went well and I progressed to a full-time position in the Bistro. This involved front of house work and cooking. Emmaus had funded my certificates in Food Hygiene and Health and Safety.
In 2018 I was offered a job as a chef in a pub/small B&B hotel in Northumberland. I worked there for four years, however Covid and a deterioration in my relationship with the owners led to me losing my live-in position and facing homelessness yet again. A phone call to a companion at Emmaus Oxford, whom I had met at Coventry, helped secure a place here in July 2022.
Life at Emmaus Oxford
I predominantly work in our very large Charity shop (and thoroughly enjoy it), with one or two days a week cooking for the community of up to 24 companions. The ethos here is very much one of progression. The staff are keen to help those who are ready to find employment and independent accommodation.
I currently chair our Solidarity Committee, which strives to assist less fortunate individuals and groups in our local community. Companions run a free food kitchen on a Thursday night where people can collect a free hot meal. I am in the process of becoming a reading assistant in local schools and I have enrolled in two courses in mental health which will, hopefully, lead to employment in this field.
At one point I thought that coming back to Emmaus after four years in the workplace was a step backwards. I now know that it was exactly the right thing to do and feel grateful to be here at Oxford. The support is excellent and the atmosphere is, on the whole, one of unity.