“Emmaus Bristol is good for getting back on your feet and moving on with life. It’s what they’ve done for me twice”.
Becoming homeless
I joined Emmaus Bristol about six months after it opened in 2003 as one of the first companions. That time, I only stayed six months before finding a job in Pucklechurch where I worked for 11 years. Then some problems came up with the job and pay, and I found myself on the streets for five weeks. It was hard. I was worried and a lot of my stuff got stolen from one of the winter hostels. You can have all sorts of problems in hostels, with people taking drugs and drinking. It’s not a great place to be. I was lucky that someone was moving on from Emmaus so there was room for me to return, otherwise I would have been on the streets even longer.
Re-visiting Emmaus Bristol
For the second time at Emmaus Bristol, I stayed for three years in the community house before moving into one of the move-on houses in St George. It’s nice having my own space and I’m living with Nigel, who I’ve known for many years as he was also one of the first companions. I’ve been in my job for one year already working at a fruit market in St Philips and it’s going really well.
Some of my favourite memories of Emmaus Bristol are from the times after work when we’d all be downstairs watching movies together and playing ping pong.
I was happy to be there because I could get back on my feet and make friends. Now, I want to do everything I can to keep my job and have a normal life outside of Emmaus.
I’ve had a fresh start and I don’t need the support of Emmaus anymore. I’m 49 now, if I don’t do something with my life now, it will be too late!
Hope for the Future
My next big plan is to go to the Philippines to see my girlfriend. I’m saving for the flight, and it will be great see a new country. I’ve travelled to many countries in Europe, and I would like to see somewhere else in the world.
