By Jessica Anstice
The Pakenham community celebrated International Women’s Day with an empowering female speaker at Outlook Community Centre on Tuesday 10 March.
More than 50 people listened as long-time Pakenham resident, Trudy Ramage, shared her experience dealing with significant loss in recent years and having to navigate through life on her own.
After losing loved ones to cancer, Ms Ramage found herself longing for a bigger purpose and re-found her passion in helping others.
After assisting a friend involved in a domestic violence situation, she mobilised community to give back, and ‘Trudy’s Angels’ was born.
The group collects sanitary items all year round on behalf of Share the Dignity, a women’s charity that makes a real, on-the-ground difference for girls and women experiencing homelessness, domestic violence and period poverty.
Each guest at Tuesday’s event donated a women’s sanitary product to Share the Dignity.
With Outlook’s reach into community and Trudy’s drive and networks, over the course of several years, Share the Dignity has received hundreds of items to support women in crisis.
After Trudy’s presentation, the group enjoyed a special lunch together.
The Pakenham-based community centre has been running International Women’s Day events for more than five years – priding itself on being an employer of choice for women, with 53 percent of the staff female.
