Tracie M Oldman has been a powerful advocate in the Sunbury community for a number of years. Georgia Tacey caught up with Tracie to hear more about the work she does for her own local charity. Just4Causes.
What’s your connection to Sunbury?
When I moved to Sunbury in 1994 with my young family, the property was reasonably priced, we felt at home right away and quickly settled in and made Sunbury our home.
What do you like about where you live?
The one thing that struck me about Sunbury was the genuine rural vibe, with a genuine sense of community among the residents.
Why did you decide to start up Just4Causes?
Unfortunately, due to unexpected circumstances, my family and I had to rely heavily on donations from charitable organisations who generously offered us support during these trying times. My son Tyler and I started Just4Causes as a way to give back to the community that supported us so much because we never forget the support we had during those difficult times.
Tell us a bit about the Just4Causes and the work you do for the charity.
With the incredible collaboration of local companies, organisations, and community groups in the Hume region, Just4Causes not only works to raise awareness but also raises much-needed funds, giving the community, worthy causes, and those in need vital support. Just4Causes is entirely dependent on donations and does not receive funding or grants. All earnings are donated to improve the lives of individuals, families, and communities. We have raised money for the Sunbury MS Peer Group, Beyondblue, Roses in the Ocean, too many to mention.
We also hold our own awareness events such as the very successful Community Mental Health Expo, LGBTQIA+ Aging with Pride Expo and Domestic Violence Expo. We also make donations to local causes such as we donated money to Defib for Life to purchase a machine. We also donated to Careworks, Mother’s Day Classic to raise funds and awareness for the fight against breast and ovarian cancer.
Is there anything coming up for Just4Causes that you would like to highlight?
As a survivor myself, I really felt passionate about Sunbury and the outer region being represented on the National Survivors Day so my charity group Just4Causes is proud to host the National Survivors Day Morning Tea open to all adult survivors of sexual and physical abuse. We want all adult survivors, their families, friends, and supporters across the region to be able to connect, engage, and network. We also want them to build valuable relationships in our community that will help Raise Awareness, and establish connections that will last long after the event is over.
Just4Causes will not shy aware from uncomfortable topics it is important that survivors feel heard so we our organisation will help to give them a platform to have their say.
