I’m from Salford originally and became homeless after an abusive relationship of 25 years. I got the guts to walk away and have not looked back since.
Emmaus Salford was the first Emmaus that I stumbled across, just by accident. I met the staff there and they got back in touch saying they’d like to welcome me to their community. When I joined Emmaus, I wanted to get back in touch with my daughters and thankfully, I’ve now done that. Before making contact with them again, I went for about three years without any contact. When they got to realise the situation, and got to know me themselves, they completely changed their minds and our relationship has built up again.
After Emmaus Salford, I decided to move to Emmaus Merseyside and then Emmaus South Wales. I went back to Liverpool and then moved to Emmaus Hull & East Riding in 2024. I’m really settled here now and feel like Hull is the place to be for me. It reminds me a lot like home – people are down to earth and very friendly. Gaining work experience in the Emmaus shops has given me the chance to meet some really nice people. It reminds me of going back, how it used to be 20 years ago, where people stop to say hello and chat.
Community and friends
The Emmaus community in Hull is very friendly. There’s always changes but you get your main characters and people you become friends with. I’m so comfortable here and in a place where I have no worries and no problems which for me at the moment is ideal. We have responsibilities but it’s less pressure and you don’t have to worry where your next meal is coming from. My anxiety and depression haven’t totally gone but it is not as much as what it used to be.
Day to day, I enjoy helping in The Orchard, our community house, and in the kitchen there. I love going in the shops, on the till, serving people and helping with the sorting of donations and stock. I sometimes go on the phone too but not very often. Most of all, I enjoy the variety of different roles at Emmaus – using my skills in different areas and gaining new skills too.
Alongside helping out in the community and shops, I’ve done lots of different training courses and workshops. Whilst I’ve been in Hull, I’ve done a first aid course and quite a few of the online training courses like health and safety, fire marshal and food hygiene level 1 and 2. The support staff at Emmaus like to move people on and help them achieve their goals but at the moment, I’m happy here as my mind’s clear and I’m at peace.
Reconnecting with family
Whilst I’ve been at Emmaus, I have accessed the Emmaus Companion Training & Wellbeing Fund a few times. They’ve helped me towards seeing my daughters who both now live abroad. The funding paid for my passport and then flights to see them. One of my daughters has had her own child and it was so nice to spend a Christmas with them both. I’m so appreciative of the funding and the opportunity to visit my daughters.
To everyone who supports Emmaus, keep coming in and supporting us! We’re very grateful for what you do and couldn’t achieve what we do, without you. Thanks to the people who donate items we’re able to raise funds to support our community. One man’s junk is another person’s treasure, and donating stuff to charity is recycling, which is good for the planet too.
Emmaus is like my second family. Living within a community means that there’s always somebody here in the morning or when you come down. The staff do a brilliant job, but it also helps that we all support each other too, mentally and socially. With me being a very open person, I talk to people, and they talk to me back. It’s nice to be around nice people.