Emmaus - Rachel's story

Emmaus is a charity that offers homeless people a home, work and the chance to regain their self-respect in a supportive, community environment.  There are currently 14 Communities open in the UK, with 10 others in development.   

Rachel lived at Emmaus Brighton for two years after being released from prison.“I have obsessive compulsive disorder, but I was only diagnosed a couple of years ago, even though I know my feelings of anxiety started when I was about seven.  My disorder took the form of continually checking things. It was connected to my feelings of self worth. I never felt comfortable in my skin. I didn’t do very well at school and I got into trouble.  I ended up getting into hard drugs and became addicted to heroin.  I did nine months in prison for a drug related crime. When you have been in an institution, It’s hard to find your place back in the world. Everything seems scary. I was 27 when I came out of prison and I had nowhere to stay and no one to support me.

I started a new relationship, but it went wrong and I found myself homeless. I slept under Brighton pier for a short time, but I realised very quickly that I couldn’t handle sleeping rough. What first attracted me to the idea of coming to Emmaus was the fact that everyone who lives in Emmaus Communities has to work either in the café or the shop or the workshop.

For many people, particularly people with addictions, having too much time on their hands can be a real danger. Emmaus ensures that as well as support, everyone is given the motivation to get out of bed in the morning. Emmaus gave me some control back over my life and restored my confidence.  The Community provided quite a lot of healing therapies such as homeopathy and I also saw a counsellor. I was able to talk about how I felt  and question why it was that I behaved in the way that I did. I won’t say that Emmaus waved a magic wand and made everything better, but it gave me the chance to begin to get better. It felt like a sanctuary.It’s about two years since I lived at Emmaus.  I’m off the drugs. I have my own flat and I feel as if everything is falling into place.  At the moment I am attending a three-day a week programme for women who were drug users. I am going to do some voluntary work with people with autism. I want to lead a decent life and give something back. These days I see that I have options. I will always be grateful to Emmaus because living and working there restored in me the feeling of possibility. I am working towards happiness now."

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