Community advocate, Tracy Rhea has been awarded a scholarship to attend a conference in Vancouver.
OXFORD COUNTY- Tracy Rhea's childhood began in East London. She remembers it being a very different time back then. Things were safer- she could go to the corner store unattended. That London she knew growing up is gone. Rhea's life changed and she ended up becoming homeless.
Rhea said the hardest part about turning things around is accepting or wanting help,"I've learned it's not always easy but when you have back-up it makes it much easier."
Rhea says when she was homeless she classified herself as the 'working poor,' but she turned that around when she decided to return to school.
"Finally one day I thought you know what, I want to make changes in my life but I want to do something for other people...I took on a student loan and away I went to school."
Rhea adds the best part about it, is having experience on both sides of the track. Sharing a backyard with others who are in poverty, she tries to use her knowledge to help them.
She will get the chance to share her experiences in November when she attends the National Conference on Ending Homelessness. Rhea was selected as the Lived Experience Scholarship recipient.
"Mixed emotions, I've never flown so it's exciting, It was a mix because things like this don't happen to me, so knowing that the opportunity came available somebody had sent it through it was an opportunity to go."
Advocating and bringing awareness to homeless are Rhea's passions.
"It's my passion to be working with the people that are in homelessness, it's not just the trip its the part about how many people I can help, and learning what's coming you know the things that are happening for people so that we can end homelessness."
Christmas Lights Stolen in Ingersoll
UPDATE: Cyber Security Experts Investigating Oxford Incident
PJHL Preview - Dec. 12th to Dec. 14th
Tour of Lights Begins this Weekend
Drunk Drivers Charged in Woodstock
Week Three Results for Festive RIDE Campaign
Woodstock Passes 2026 Capital Budget
WFD Respond to Two Fires in the City
An Impaired Driver was Caught in EZT
Oxford OPP Investigating Serious Collision
Interview with the Warden - December 11th, 2025
SWOX Christmas Lights Contest Returns!
Ingersoll Choral Society Presents: Christmas Bells
UPDATE: Snow Squalls Hit Oxford
UPDATE: OPP Officers Released from Hospital
R.O.P.E. Squad Searching for Suspect
Police Investigating Highway 401 Crash
Oxford Hires Director of Financial Services
UPDATE: Air Transat Avoids Pilot Strike
Safe Community Project Zero Comes to SWOX
Comments
Add a comment