Free Furniture Collections Service
Got large items in good condition? Book a free collection online or call 024 7666 1466.
I started using drugs quite young – around the age of 12.
At first, it was just weed, but it escalated quickly to more serious stuff. I got kicked out of school and fell in with the wrong crowd. I was working on and off, fixing up bikes and cars, but alongside that I was making some bad decisions and ended up doing some things that could land me in trouble with the law.
Eventually, I got my own flat, but it didn’t last. I couldn’t keep up with the bills, and I was spending everything I had on drugs. I got deeper and deeper into things I shouldn’t have been involved in. I lost the flat, my job, and any sense of who I was as a person.
Hitting rock bottom
During that time, I met someone, and we had a son. I thought being a dad might turn things around for me, but I was still caught up in addiction. When the relationship broke down, I ended up on the streets. For about two years, I was sleeping rough in doorways, tents, or anywhere that felt even slightly safe – often outside a hospital, where security helped keep things calm.
It was a lonely, exhausting life. I’d lost contact with my family. I was surviving on food from local street kitchens and food banks and just getting through each day.
Turning things around
Eventually, I got to a point where I thought, if I don’t change something, I’m going to die. A local pastor at a food bank told me about a Christian rehab charity, and I made the decision to go. It was strict – very structured – but it helped me get clean. The faith-based side of it really helped too. I’d grown up around church, but I’d turned away from it when things went bad. At the rehab, I reconnected with that part of my life and started to believe I could turn things around.
I stayed there for about 11 months and took on a leadership role. But I needed a next step – something to help me ease back into the real world. That’s when I heard about Emmaus.
A fresh start at Emmaus
I’ve now been at Emmaus Coventry & Warwickshire since 2024. I’ve got my own room, some independence, and support when I need it. It’s a much better balance. I’ve stayed clean, I’m budgeting, saving, and making better choices.
I help out as a driver, mainly collecting donated furniture and delivering to customers who buy from our Emmaus charity shops. It suits me more than working in the shop, and I like having something practical to get stuck into.
Since being here, I’ve also taken on the role of Companion Rep. I help lead meetings and pass on feedback from the community. It’s something I never thought I’d be doing, but I’m proud to be trusted with that responsibility.
Looking ahead
I’ve reconnected with my family, and I see them regularly now. I’ve got a better relationship with my son, and we’ve even been to football matches together.
With support from the Emmaus Companion Training and Wellbeing Fund, alongside some of my own savings, I’m about to start training for a Class 2 HGV licence. The plan is to find a driving job once I’m qualified and stay here for a few more months while I work and save. Eventually, I’d like to move somewhere closer to where my son lives.
Emmaus has given me structure, purpose and space to move forward at my own pace. For the first time in a long time, I feel like I’ve got a future.