The 2024-25 Annual Report

The Karinya House 2024-25 Annual Report was tabled at the Annual General Meeting held on Tuesday 25th November.

Snippets from Committee President, Margaret O'Donovan's report ...  

"The 2024-25 financial year has highlighted the value of our partnerships across the community, reminding us that our work would not be possible without the generous support the Canberra Community provides Karinya House to ensure we are able to walk alongside women and their babies during times of hardship."

"I was recently invited to spend two hours at Belconnen Mall speaking with members of the public and explaining the work of Karinya House. Amazingly, in that short time, I met two women who had been supported by Karinya House. One had been a resident 10 years ago and had her lovely teenage child with her, and the other mother is currently attending our Thursday Group sessions. Both looked very happy out shopping with their families and expressed gratitude for the support Karinya has provided. As an organisation, we have supported more than 2,800 women and their families since our inception. My brief encounters with just two of the women who spoke so highly of the care they had received, reminded me of the ripples of impact that the organisation continues to make to the Canberra community."

If you would like to read more, you can view the Annual Report at the link below. 

The Women4Women Circle

The Karinya House Women4Women Circle held their final meeting for 2025 in early November. The group, comprised of local women, are united by the same mission: that of ensuring no woman in our community has to navigate their journey through pregnancy and parenting alone. The Circle have become a driving force behind major Karinya House events and initiatives.

Since the groups inception in late 2023, Karinya House has experienced a significant increase in revenue from events, much of which can be attributed to this group. Both the annual Home. Hope. Horizon Charity Luncheon and the Karinya Walk for Hope are significantly supported by this fantastic group.

The members of the Women4Women Circle, share ideas, advocate for Karinya House in the wider community and harness their networks to extend the reach of the Karinya message. They also contribute their time, the value of which is recognised.  Individuals with the Circle are donors. Organisations within the Circle are donor partners. They each, in their own way, champion the work of Karinya to friends and colleagues.

We are grateful to each member of this Circle and look forward to working together into the future.

We are also very grateful to our friends at the Hyatt Hotel Canberra, who always provide, at no cost, a beautiful venue to conduct these meetings in.  

Networking Opportunity

We are deeply grateful to everyone who attended the recent Shaw and Partners networking and charity event, which raised an incredible $15,200 in support of Karinya House.

Thanks to the generosity of guests, $7,600 was raised on the night - and the Shaw Foundation generously matched this amount, doubling the impact for women in our community.

A heartfelt thank you to the local Canberra business community, who showed up with such warmth and generosity, and to Deakin & Me for hosting the event.

Every dollar raised helps ensure we can continue saying yes to pregnant and parenting women in crisis. We are so grateful for this support. 🤍

A shout out to lovely Luke!

Here’s to the lovely Luke, who completed the Massive Murray Paddle / 415km / 5 Days - 415km along the mighty Murray in 5 days.

As well as this awesome feat, Luke finished 3rd highest fundraiser in the individual category, raising over $4,000 to support women, through Karinya.

As Luke said, “A sincere thank you to all donors.”

We agree.

We echo what we said as Luke embarked on his training and we set up his fundraising page in late September... we think Luke is a champion bloke. 🙌🏽🙌🏽💚🚣🏽‍♂️

Snippets....

A few snippets from the Karinya "Green Notebook" ... 

Cheers to Jane 🌻 - our wonderful Maternal Wellbeing Coordinator has carried out over 30 interactive sessions with women across 2025. Whilst at Karinya, Jane spends her days with the women in their residential spaces for whatever may arise in the course of a given day.

Words from a recent donor: "Since having my own child in 2024, I’ve realised how tough (and wonderful!) pregnancy and motherhood can be, even when you have a smooth home life and family support. I decided to make a general donation, so my donation can be used where you need it most. I think you’re doing such important work."

A message from a woman after a visit from one of her Karinya Care team: "Bub (in utero) is dancing since breakfast. I am just lying down and enjoying it. I feel better today. Thank you for staying with me yesterday."

One of the Karinya Care Team attended a 20-week scan with a woman we are walking alongside, who said " Thank you so much again, I really appreciate it. I was so grateful to have you there."

#humansofkarinya #walkingalongsidewomen

Thank You! and hold on to your hats with the Summer Season upon us...

Stay safe, celebrate as you choose, and be the kindness you all bring to Karinya House.

#supportingwomen #standingalongside #ourvillage #ourcommunity