Companion Stories: Elena
"I was at Emmaus Brighton for two years and then about a year ago I came here to Emmaus St Albans. When I arrived in this country from the Ukraine, I didn’t speak any English, I hardly knew anyone and I had no money. I came to Emmaus at a critical point in my life and they were there for me. It became my home.
I enjoy working in the shop, particularly making things look as good as they can be. I make sure that nothing in the shop is dusty because people don’t want to buy dusty goods. I polish the furniture and wash the bric-a-brac. I even give the shoes a shine. I make things look like new so that people buy them quickly. I find it satisfying to see the result of my efforts.
I have an engineering degree and worked in that field in the Ukraine, but my English is not good enough to work as an engineer in this country. I would like perhaps to teach Russian when I leave here. Emmaus are paying for me to study English. I use my day off to go to college and a half day during the week. I don’t get much time when I’m not working or going to college but I don’t get tired. I am a hard working person.
People come to Emmaus because of all sorts of situations. Some have been divorced or have become unemployed. They are often lost and confused when they arrive but they find that Emmaus is a place that offers security and they slowly become more confident. I feel that I am much more confident myself. Life is stable and we respect each other. We lead honest lives here and we are not afraid. Sometimes when people first come here they feel they are worth less than other people. They don’t feel successful because of what has happened to them. But anyone can find themselves in a difficult situation. Anyone can lose people close to them or their health or their job and we know that and support each other. Gradually people begin to see that they have a future. They see that they can move on.
I am not certain about what I will do next. I have a visa for life and later this year I would like to apply for citizenship. I feel optimistic about life and Emmaus have been central in making me feel this way. Perhaps one day I could help to set up an Emmaus Community in the Ukraine. I would like that."
