The Community Grocery in Lincoln has felt like a part of me from my very first days in the UK. I arrived as an international student with only a lump-sum student loan, so I had to manage my budget very carefully to make it through to graduation. After completing my course, I found myself in a limbo season: finished but unemployed. That was when the Community Grocery adopted me as a volunteer. I gained semi-professional experience, received so much mental support, and eventually found employment. Even now, I still visit often to shop, chat, or ask for a bit of help.