Safe to say the year 2020 has been rocky for everyone, but for someone with no fixed abode it is particularly difficult.

It’s been a tough year, having had a short-term tough relationship, several heartbreaking losses (one being the death of my sister), losing my job and accommodation in the space of an hour and lock down rules making certain places no longer an option, I felt massively overwhelmed with little hope.

It felt like it was one thing after another and this in turn impacted my mental health. I found myself making bad choices, spending time with people up to no good and turned to excessive alcohol drinking and developing a poor attitude towards my physical health.

Over 6 months on and off I was sofa surfing, which is very unsettling and sadly becoming very common. Some nights I stayed over the bridge with family and some nights, I didn’t sleep at all. When I had nowhere sorted to go or if last minute, I wasn’t able to stay where I had arranged, I would find myself walking from one end of Hull to the other. The longest time spent consecutively with nowhere to go, setting off late from houses and slow walking across Hull, was 3 nights. It isn’t even a long period of time, but it really put into perspective just how easy it is for anyone to find themselves with nowhere to go.

I was extremely vague about my situation to friends and family as I was ashamed of my circumstances. I was fortunate to have friends who let me stay, predominantly I stayed at my close friends. It became increasingly difficult when lock down rules became stricter and certain sectors had to close; between us we struggled to pay rent, most days we barely had any food. After several weeks, we both ended up in Bradford to step away from bad influences. When there, I knew Bradford was only short term and my friend was moving with her dad, so I started to carry out some research and that’s when I came across Emmaus.

The first contact I called the was the support team. After the logistics and answering some questions, I was granted a room. I moved in in June and on arrival I had to isolate for 1 week. I loved my week in isolation, it gave me a solid week to recuperate, rest and gather my thoughts. I was nervous about my first day but quickly I found my feet. The other companions there were so welcoming and continue to be great people to live with. I was given a taste in most areas and often doing a different role every day. The main change was getting back into a routine and this has helped me to regain my confidence and look forward to the future. The team eventually put me through my Level 2 Food and Hygiene, and I started cooking for the other companions. The skills I have developed here have had such a positive impact on my well-being. Soon after I started on the Outreach team. It is like no job I have ever encountered before. Bizarrely I had previously had an interview for a role at Emmaus and now I have gained the experiences needed to get the job.

Now that I am a member of the Outreach team I look back at my journey and can’t believe how different this time last year was for me. I have undertaken lots of training which will be beneficial for any future roles. The role is for 6 months with the potential of it being extended in due course. I am looking forward to Christmas at The Orchard and what’s yet to come and will be looking at moving out of Emmaus and into my own place at the beginning of next year.

My confidence has developed rapidly and I owe this to the joint efforts of all the staff at Emmaus.

In 2005 I Became homeless for the first time. When you are homeless, you never really close your eyes. I avoided the towns and tried to keep a low profile. If you had anything of value, you would get jumped. Sometimes you would get jumped just because someone felt like it – they didn’t need a reason. There were times I felt like ending it all, but something always held me back.

I managed to find work at Funfairs and at Holiday Camps but the work was seasonal and I wasn’t accomplishing anything long term. A move back to Yorkshire to re connect with family didn’t work out like I imagined so I found myself back in the South sleeping rough once more. There were days I felt like jumping off the end of the Pier, but then I was referred to Emmaus and my life changed.

The day I walked into Emmaus was emotional. I didn’t feel judged and I was welcomed by everyone. You just can’t explain the feeling of relief when you don’t have to worry about your next meal or your next hot shower. We have our ups and downs like all families, and that’s what we are – Family. I now have qualifications and confidence like never before. I have just moved into my new flat with the help of Emmaus and am the happiest I’ve been for a long time! I found the light at the end of my tunnel and its called Emmaus.

I Came to Emmaus nearly 5 month ago…completely broken amidst a personal and long lasting nightmare of addiction and mental health complications riddled with all kinds of negativity and mental distress and not knowing myself at all, turning my back on everything and everyone whilst being at a staggeringly low 9 1/2 stone…
Nearly 5 months later, I’ve weened off 2 regular medications and am now reaching the same time clean and sober, can work a 40+ hour week again without feeling like a ghost afterwards and NOW weigh just shy of 13 stone!!! I haven’t weighed this much since I was in my teens! 😌!
All in all, I finally have a life worth living and some pretty incredible people populating it too. Thank you to everyone who has and continues to be there for me on a daily basis and for being the extraordinary support network I’ve needed in order to succeed!
I love you all from the bottom of my soul 👊❤️

Recovery is always possible
Recovery is always worth it! 🙏

So this is my Story:

in late 2005 I found myself staying with my aunt on her sofa due to issues with work and housing, I heard about Emmaus Greenwich through a day centre so I gave them a call and the lady I spoke to told me I would need to work 40 hours a week in return for a room of my own, food and a small weekly allowance with no Bill’s to pay. It sounded ideal for me and I was invited to have a look around, it didn’t take me long to tell them I wanted to stay and I soon settled into things, sorting out the brick a brack and going out on the van to help with collections and deliveries. During my 2-3 months there I discovered Emmaus Cambridge was not far from where my Mum and Stepdad lived and managed to get a transfer to the community, after a month or so I managed to find a place to live in Somerset so went there hoping to find work but it was a bit out of the way and after I while I got bored and managed to find a flat share in London for a while but could not get enough work to pay my Bill’s, I then moved in with a friend for a while and ended up meeting a girl in the North of England so after 6 months I moved there, We were together for around 2 years and during the end of our relationship my Mum passed away which was really hard for me, I felt so alone and started drinking too much and not sleeping well due to having panic attacks during the night, I found myself walking to and sitting in the hospital for hours because I felt safe there, I didn’t take time off work because I was scared of losing my job which sounds silly looking back and after a few months I started to manage things a bit better, after nearly 4 years my job started to get harder due to changes and I just got depressed, I booked a weeks holiday, sold everything I had and left. I went to Israel for 3 weeks to volunteer on a moshav for a few weeks then came back to the uk to stay with my Stepdad for a while on his sofa, after a few months of being in and out of work we fell out and I left to stay in a night shelter for a while until I moved into Emmaus Hampshire, after a few months I met a girl and found a job then a place of my own, after around 11 months we split up and I got fed up of my job and the awkward shifts so went to stay with a friend and then lived with my real Dad for a while. Since then I have been moving around a bit and also been to Emmaus in Germany, the Netherlands and recently came back from spending 3 months in an Emmaus in Switzerland. I lost my Dad to Cancer a bit over 3 years ago which has been really hard for me and sometimes I still struggle with it but I try to take a day at a time, I’m currently in Emmaus Hull and looking forward to settling in Hull and finding a job and a place of my own. As much as I have enjoyed travelling it also became a bit of a habit when times got hard, it’s time for me to settle down now and start to enjoy life properly, I’m hoping to gain some more qualifications while I am here and make sure that when I do find a job it will be the right one for me and I can stay grounded. Emmaus has been really good for me as it gives you a chance to take a step back and decide what you want from life, there is lots of support here and it’s nice being around similar people who have gone through similar things and understand what your going through.

 

David came from a loving family who tried everything they could to keep him safe and out of trouble. As many teenagers do and David did, the influences of his friends and piers which led David to have his first conviction was when he was only 13, this was for various types of theft. At the age of 14 David was sentenced to 4 months in prison. David became a prolific offender and was in and out of prison until he was 20.

David met his ex-partner and when he was released they moved to Sheffield for a new start and got a job and had 2 girls called Chloe and Lillie, David was enjoying his family life. Whilst David lived in Sheffield he bumped into some of his old friend from prison and he started taking heroin again when he was 25, which he then got addicted but was able to keep if from his partner at the time for 3 years. When she found out about the heroin she still gave David lots of chances. David’s words “I chose heroin” This split the family up, and at 30 years old David went back to Rotherham to live with his parents and spent the next 5 years I and out of prison for theft and drug offences.  Probation went to visit David whilst he was in prison and told him about Emmaus and what it had to offer.

On David’s release he lived in Emmaus Burnley and Emmaus Preston for a short period and then went into bed and breakfast in Rotherham as he thought that he was ready to move back to where he was brought up, but he wasn’t. David wanted a fresh start and to try and keep away from his old life around drugs, theft and been near in Rotherham wasn’t going to give him that. David finally got his fresh start and was supported by Rotherham Offender Management Unit. Who brought him to Emmaus Hull 23^rd March this year.

The last time David came out of prison was June 2018 and has not offended for over 3 years prior to this. David is now looking forward to gaining new skills and eventually get a job and a new home, and to try and reconnect with his daughters that he dearly misses.

On 26^TH September 2017, Jason went into a day centre in Brighton to ask for help. They supported Jason’s move into Emmaus Hull as a companion the same day.  He had previously lived in a travelling community all his life. Over the years Jason moved around and had an interesting childhood. From a young adult Jason gambled a lot and at 45 years old he wanted to change his life around and have a fresh start.

Jason found it hard when he first came into Emmaus as he wasn’t used to routine or the stability of living in a house and not travelling around. Jason started to enjoy having a purpose and keeping busy with the voluntary work at Emmaus.

Jason has come into his own and has undertaken a lot of training offered by Emmaus such as Buddy training, Fire Marshall, First-Aid, Customer service, Key-holder, Warehouse & Storage NVQ level 2. J He has recently finished a work placement at Hull maintenance and really enjoyed it.

Jason has certainly turned his life around and is now moving on to new pastures with a  Painting and Decorating job and he is also moving in with his new partner.

Quote from Jason:

Layne came and joined the Emmaus Hull & East Riding community in February of 2019 after months of sofa surfing in another area. Layne has not previously lived in community living and was feeling somewhat apprehensive. Layne had also never lived in the Hull area before so was experiencing a whole array of new encounters.

Layne would describe himself as a quiet person and sometimes finds it hard to socialise with new people and can experience feelings of overwhelming anxiety when presented with large numbers of people particularly in new situations.

Layne had no previous experience of a working environment and lacked an understanding of the challenges and rewards that a working day could provide.

Since Layne joined the community he has gone from strength to strength, he slowly has found the confidence to engage and socialise with other companions he now considers part of his extended family. Layne has found his voice in the morning meetings and with support from his peers and support worker has offered input and discussed rotas. Layne has been involved in the many social activities that take place within the community from BBQ’s to the themed menu nights, Layne can always be found tucking into his food and socialising with others.

Layne continues to go from strength to strength within his working role and can often be found sorting through the brick a bac in the warehouse, contributing to the up keep within the orchard or enjoying some gardening by either maintain the lawns or keeping on top of the vegetables we have growing to enable self-sufficiency.

Layne was also heavily involved with the solidarity work that 3 other companions took part in by clearing a previously unloved and over grown communal garden. After many hours hard work and a few blisters later Layne and the other companions have been able to hand back to a local community a beautiful, weed free well-loved space that can be enjoyed by so many. Layne himself says “the work involved in the garden project was hard work, but a day I will never forget, I got to work with 3 other companions in a new environment, we worked hard but laughed and joked while getting the job done”. Layne says he would not previously of been able to be involved in this kind of work due to his anxiety, however with the support of other companions and the building of trust Layne felt confident and happy to be in such a new environment.

Layne has also been able to explore Hull and spends his free time taking photographs of local areas of interest and has become involved with Hull Minister. Layne is now learning to play music and considers himself to have a safe place to call home while have the freedom to explore outside interests.

Layne is grateful for all that Emmaus have offered him and feels he has a sense of purpose through the structure of his day and the commitment he has shown to his community and work life. Layne is very much looking forward to the future and hopes to continue his solidarity work with involvement in Emmaus International and support those in a greater need than himself.

Carl became a companion of Emmaus Hull & East Riding community 25^th February 2019. After suffering with poor mental health, he found himself homeless and estranged from his family. This caused Carl’s mental health to deteriorate further, with no sense of purpose, low self-esteem and no place to call home.

The relationship between Carl and his children’s care givers had all but broken down, which resulted in loss of contact for Carl with his children, losing several months access to his youngest son and daughter. Sadly the relationship between Carl and his Mum had broken down to virtually no contact whatsoever.

Carl describes his first night at Emmaus as feeling “nervous, scared and unsure what the future could possibly hold”. This was the first time that he had experienced community living. Carl was introduced to his buddy and made to feel at ease with a warm drink and a non-judgemental ear to listen and reassure him.

The first time he walked through the door, he was greeted by a warm, friendly and unconditional welcome by a community that Carl now considers to be a part of his extended family. Carl has soon adapted to his work role within the superstore and enjoys the structure and challenges this brings to his working day.

Furthermore, Carl stayed patient and trusting with his support worker to establish the correct path for his mental health needs. Carl explains that the communication between him and his support worker has allowed him the confidence to explore the options available to him for support in mental health. This prevented him needing to be admitted to hospital and instead allowed him to have the flexibility of having a home-based treatment team that work with Carl here, at what he now considers his home.

With support and careful planning from Emmaus, Carl has also successfully achieved access to his children and was able to assist his daughter who recently had a hospital stay. He was able to travel to be with his daughter at the hospital in another city, with support around time off and travel costs.

Carl acknowledged that a big part of his positive experience was having a buddy to talk and turn to. In fact, Carl himself has completed his buddy training so he can offer the same practice to any new future companions. Carl has also plans on completing his NVQ Level 1 & 2 in customer service and warehouse and attends the weekly progression sessions run as part of the Emmaus training programme. Carl also intends to work with the solidarity committee in future campaigns as part of the core values at Emmaus.

He is very much looking forward to the future and now often reflects on how far he has come since he began as a companion back in February and in Carl’s own words: “Thank you to Emmaus for the opportunity and a second chance at life”. Carl now often visits his Mum on his days off for an evening meal and they frequently speak on the phone. Carl places the success of this firmly with Emmaus as he has been able to deal with his personal issues without feeling like a burden. Carl plans to spend some time in the summer travelling around different communities and generally enjoying life to the max. He’s in the process of starting his volunteering with the Army Cadets in some of his free time as he wishes to become a positive role model to the younger generation.

Carl’s support worker feels incredibly proud of him for everything he has achieved and it has been a pleasure to see Carl evolve into the person he is today. Carl will continue to have our full support throughout his time here and encouragement to achieve even more of his personal goals.

Hull, UK: A former rough sleeper is celebrating the next chapter in his life having gone from being homeless to independent living in just two years but says mental health awareness remains an issue.

Bob Chapman suffered from depression, which had lead to spiralling debt and ultimately him facing life on the streets.

Having spent four and half months living rough, including time camped in forests and living off berries, with the help of local homeless charity, Emmaus Hull and East Riding he has been able to transform his life.

Now living independently in his own flat in north Hull he is about to take his first steps back in to employment.

Former rough sleeper, Mr. Chapman said: “It was about 2000 when my depression first set in. My mum had died just after my birthday and not long after that we found out my dad was terminally ill.“I had a good job in the warehouse at Cranswick Foods but, because my sister had a disabled child, I gave up my job to become a full time carer for my dad.

“It was in 2015 that the depression really took hold. I couldn’t take any more bad news so I stopped leaving the house and avoided contact, even in the form of letters and phone calls.

“Eventually, when I did open one of the letters it told me I was going to be evicted. This was when I decided I just needed to get away from everyone and walked 191 miles in four days and ended up in Lincoln.

“For the next few months I only ate once every four days when I found some change, otherwise I lived off berries.

“Having had chance to clear my mind a bit I realised that I needed to set things straight. I phoned my sister and some family came to pick me up and told me about Emmaus.

“Since I’ve been here, I’ve undertaken extensive training including maths, English, mental health and safeguarding, amongst many others.

“I’ve also worked with the outreach team, which supports those who are currently sleeping rough. Mental health is rife in the homeless community and there’s still a lot of education required in this area.

“If I had stayed on the streets I’d be dead now. Emmaus have helped me feel worth something again when it felt like no one else wanted to listen.

“My depression is something that will always remain with me but I now have it under control, when it could have been so different.”

Kelly Lousie Meacock, training leader at Emmaus Hull and East Riding, who has worked with Mr. Chapman since he first came to the charity, said: “When Bob first came to Emmaus, we set out a list of targets for him and a path for him to achieve them.

“It was a three-year plan and after two and half years Bob has realised everything he set out to do, which is testament to his hard work.

“He is now preparing to return to full-time employment, with a job secured he is just undertaking his final training before assuming the role.

“Bob’s case highlights a really important issue, that is particularly prevalent amongst the homeless community.

“Mental health can affect anyone and if the appropriate steps aren’t taken then things can spiral rapidly. Fortunately, Bob has been able to take control back and is now going from strength to strength.”

Anyone that is concerned about the mental health of a rough sleeper should notify Emmaus Hull and East Riding by downloading the app or by calling 01482 223 722.

For more information visit www.emmaushull.org