Companion Stories: Brett
"After I left school I went to college for two years and became a qualified chef. I had no real intention of becoming a chef though because I had set my heart on working for the electricity supply industry. I entered my chosen profession and rose up through the ranks and became a shop manager. Unfortunately, because of a change of policy they started to close the shops, and I was eventually made redundant. I wasn’t really equipped for any other career. The rug had been pulled out from under my feet and I had no idea where to go. I was in my late thirties. I drifted from job to job, but nothing that paid a proper wage.
I am an alcoholic and always will be, although it didn’t really affect my work. After a while I applied for a caretaker’s post with Social Services. With an increase in income came more stability. They then gave me a job on the switchboard, and that was fine until they decided to use a call centre. I couldn’t see myself sitting in front of a computer all day. Once again the rug had been pulled from under me.
This time the drink really took hold. I had no self esteem. I got behind with the rent and got evicted. I went on the streets. Fortunately it was only for about six months, but it was long enough. Because I’m articulate I found myself getting into conversations with people I met and they couldn’t understand how my life had turned out the way it had. The fact is it could happen to anyone and I tried to explain that to them.
As young single males we are bottom of every housing list because we are not deemed to be at risk. I may not appear to be vulnerable, but I know in my heart that I am. I presented myself at the local borough council and they encouraged me to go to the night shelter. I was there for about nine months. I used to make myself useful doing odd jobs and mowing the lawn. The manager of the night shelter went on a fact-finding mission to Emmaus and came back that afternoon saying he had found the perfect place for me.
It suits me at Emmaus because I need to work. If I didn’t have that focus and the pastoral support you get here, I know that I would go back to drinking again. Drinking will always be a problem to me, but living here enables me to keep it under control. When you bear in mind that the average life expectancy of someone who has been street homeless is something like 45, I’ve done well. I’ve survived at least!
Emmaus offers a high degree of support. When I was still really bad I had a counsellor who visited the Community. It was beneficial for me because it drew out of me things that had happened in my past and helped me to address what was causing my problems. It was a question of chicken and egg. Which came first? Was it the drink or the life happenings? It’s a delicate combination of both with me.
Everyone at the Community understands the problems associated with homelessness. We don’t judge each other. We help each other. Some of the other people here confide in me because they know what they tell me won’t go any further. I want to be a spokesperson for Emmaus. At the moment I do talks about Emmaus to a wide variety of audiences. They are always surprised to discover that I once slept rough."
