Traceyangel & CONRA ‘turn lives around’
Nearly three years ago, in outer eastern Melbourne, Tracey Mackay founded CONRA, Children of non-Recovered Alcoholics. The catalyst was her personal history. Tracey is 41, a single Mum with three sons, and a strong background in community work and the health industry. Due to a major back injury some years back she cannot work in a mainstream capacity.
A qualified counselor, Tracey counsels, gives talks, offers practical and effective guidance and support to anyone who is the child – youth or adult – of an alcoholic parent, or, who has lifelong disabilities. CONRA is not a government agency and is not government funded. Counseling is paid for on an ability to pay basis and CONRA courses are run through community centres and neighborhood houses.
CONRA provides:
1)counselling and support;
2)material goods for needy persons and families. CONRA accepts donations from clients but all materials are sourced and passed onto clients at no cost.
Tracey finds people don’t want to be ‘part of the system’ – something she understands. She runs CONRA as a community-based volunteer program and she and her band are constantly on the lookout for goods – via the Freecycle Network, deceased estates, word of mouth etc.
CONRA clients tell her she has ‘turned their lives around’. Occasionally she receives flowers and the odd card with $20 inside. CONRA volunteers get great pleasure from the simple, quiet help they give.
Tracey’s house is overflowing with goods for the needy and she is desperately seeking either funding to provide a storage place for materials or some type of warehousing or storage so CONRA can continue to provide for families.
IF YOU CAN HELP, OR, FOR MORE INFO CONTACT:
Tracey Mackay Email – traceyangel@optusnet.com.au
NB. THE AUSTRALIA FREECYCLE NETWORK is open to all who want to ‘recycle’ that special something rather than throw it away. Whether it’s a chair, a fax machine, piano or an old door, you just post it on the website, or, look for something for yourself! The only constraint: everything posted must be FREE.
VISIT: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/melbourneozfreecycle/
