Valter’s visit is life-changing

Service with a smile . . . Valter Faria in the Salt Cellar kitchen

A former Army sous chef down on his luck and at one point sleeping in an Oldham shed had his life turned around by unexpected help.

Originally from Angola, Valter Faria was on a downward spiral when the intervention of two local organisations and a gift from a kind-hearted Oldhamer gave him hope.

After serving in the Army for five years, the 45-year-old was discharged with little preparation and found himself living on the streets, with no family or friends to turn to and no money.

But last month Valter walked into the Salt Cellar - a cafe in Church Lane run by the Methodist church – and walked out a new man.

He met volunteers from both the Salt Cellar and ARK, a group on the cafe’s first floor, which collects and distributes unwanted furniture and household goods to people in need. Volunteers sprang to his aid and Valter left the building with somewhere to live, clothes, food and a volunteering job. A stranger who saw him with holes in his shoes even rushed home to get him a pair on nearly-new trainers!

“The people at the Salt Cellar literally saved me. My life has changed completely, if they hadn’t been there, who knows what would have happened,” said the grateful ex-squaddie

Valter is repaying their kindness by volunteering in the Salt Cellar kitchens. He cleans dishes and prepares food, and has even catered for Portuguese people with their own traditional dishes.

Valter also volunteers with the ARK team, collecting and delivering furniture to people in need, and has thrown himself in to some of the decorating jobs at the cafe. Now he is looking for a full-time job and somwehere permanent to live.

Alan Shackleton, a director at the Salt Cellar, said: “We were pleased to welcome Valter. Our new friend lights up our day with his infectious grin and greetings.”