I first got involved as a volunteer at Emmaus in May 2023. In January of that year, I had retired and didn’t want to rush into any volunteering but knew I wanted to do something.
I was searching on the internet and found Emmaus. I hadn’t come across any other charities that offered upcycling as a volunteering opportunity and I was immediately interested. It sounded like fun and would be a way of developing my skills in an area that had always interested me.
I mainly work in the furniture upcycling room, helping to transform furniture that is a bit worn out and turning it into items that can be sold in the shop. We repair, refurbish, paint and do a certain amount of reupholstery. The one day a week that I volunteer gives some structure to my week and in addition, I meet nice people and do something useful. It’s also nice to meet people from outside the area where I live.
I think that homelessness must be one of the worst things that could happen to anyone and I often think how I would feel if either of my sons was one of those unfortunate people on the streets. When you see people who are homeless, you don’t know how to help them, or if giving them money is the right thing to do. It’s also not financially possible to give to everybody that you pass on the streets so by volunteering for a charity that helps people, getting them on to a better path in life, I feel I’m helping in some way.
Rewarding in many ways
I’ve definitely developed my skills whilst I have been volunteering at Emmaus, certainly in terms of upholstering, stripping furniture and applying paints and stains. In addition, we upcycle donated fabric and wools and as I can knit I take wool home and turn it into items for sale in the emporium, hopefully earning a bit more for the charity than if the wool was sold without it being upcycled.
I’ve introduced two new volunteers to Emmaus and would encourage others to get involved. For people thinking about volunteering, I’d say find something that you think you might be interested in and just go and give it a go. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to go back. It’s a cliché but often you get more out of volunteering than you put in.
To the people who donate items and shop with Emmaus, please keep supporting the charity because it’s a win-win situation. You keep things out of landfill, allow others to buy nice things at an affordable price, whilst helping the charity at the same time.