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Karinya News - January 2025
Dear Friends of Karinya
Welcome to 2025! The Editor has again completely missed January and here we are in February! The warm days of summer are well and truly with us, and the hottest weather has been kept for back-to-school days. We do hope this eNews finds you somewhat rested after the festive season. We look forward to sharing 2025 with you.
We recognise and thank all the Karinya team - staff and volunteers - who worked across every shift of every day through the December-January summer period. The holiday roster continues with the remainder of the team now enjoying their break across February. The commitment of the team ensured wonderful support for the women we are currently walking alongside, and their babies and children. We were also on hand to take new referrals and phone calls for support, as we are every day.
Over the Christmas/New Year period, four babies were born, with mums and bubs now enjoying their new journeys together. One young mum has in recent days exited Karinya to her new home amidst much excitement, hope and with a great sense of opportunity for herself and her baby.
As always, any references to events or appeals below are for the information of all our Friends. If you are a financial Friend of Karinya House, be assured we value the current extent of your financial support, and no additional support from current donors is being sought through the sharing of this news, other than asking you to consider sharing this eNews with friends or family if it may be of interest to them.
Karinya House Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan
Karinya House is pleased to present our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), our second RAP in the organisation’s formal reconciliation journey.
In early 2020, Karinya House began our reconciliation journey with a Reconciliation Statement. In 2020 we took another important step in this process to commence the development of our inaugural Reflect RAP, which was successfully implemented between August 2022 – December 2023. The recently launched Innovate RAP has been developed to build upon our progress and lessons learned during this time.
Christmas 2024 - Wow! Thank you!
We remain overwhelmed by the warmth of the Christmas Spirit which embraced Karinya over December 2024. 215 corporate partners, community organisations, families and individuals, supported Karinya over the Christmas period, with financial and/or in-kind gift support. Too many to list here!
All women we walk alongside, the babies and children, were sponsored with gifts and hampers. A number of our Corporate Partners came up with innovative gift ideas or sponsored several women working with the care team to deliver the most thoughtful, generous and joy filled packages tailored to each woman's circumstance. A number of our donors also sponsored a woman and her family, all with great thought and care.
Through the additional support of many giving trees and other deliveries of beautiful gifts, all our gift boxes for women, babies and children are full and will support special events in the lives of each woman we walk alongside throughout the year.
The Burraly Court Christmas Lights and accompanying donations to Karinya House were again a feature over December as well. The brilliant light display in this little cul-de-sac were also enjoyed by some of the women here on an occasional evening outing.
The 2024 Karinya Christmas Appeal raised an incredible $40,760 in financial support. In addition, we were gifted over $22,000 in gifts and hampers for the support of the women we walk alongside.
Thank you! The Karinya Village is truly remarkable. 🎄✨💜
Home. Hope. Horizon. Charity Luncheon 2024
Save the date! Friday, 2nd May 2025.
The 2025 Karinya House Home. Hope. Horizon Charity Luncheon will be generously hosted again by the beautiful Hyatt Hotel Canberra.
The luncheon theme “Home. Hope. Horizon.” highlights the significant impact Karinya House has on the women we walk alongside. Providing a safe home, working with women to ignite hope in their future and recognising the unique lived experience of each woman as she navigates new horizons. The luncheon is an opportunity to network with like-minded individuals, local and regional businesses and listen to inspiring speakers. All the while enjoying a delicious long lunch and high-quality entertainment.
We are excited to present Justice Louise Taylor, ACT Supreme Court, as our inspirational guest speaker and Genevieve Jacobs, Hands Across Canberra as Emcee.
We welcome Principal Partner, Parker Coles Curtis, for their generous sponsorship of this key fundraising event.
We are grateful to also welcome a number of Associate Partners, Support Partners and Small Business Partners.
There will be a small number of tables available soon for general purchase, however you will need to be quick as we do have expressions of interest currently.
Snippets....
Incoming call from a woman, we have walked alongside variously over several years. When staff answered the phone, the woman stated, "Oh I feel so safe when I hear your voice down the phone".
“Thank you all so much for caring and looking after us this year. We are so grateful we landed at Karinya and have had all of your support. I have no idea how we would have made it through the last 12 months without all of you.”
"Merry Christmas! We had such a lovely Christmas with everybody else who was here. Kathy and Chenisse (Support Workers) made it so special."
It is our practice to send birthday cards to all the women we walk alongside, signed by all staff. In response recently, the message received was: "I got your birthday card yesterday and it made me tear up as I never had one like that."
#humansofkarinya
Karinya Fleet Upgrade
Part 2
We have now upgraded the 3rd vehicle in our aged fleet - the faithful and much love Hyundai iMax people mover. Originally purchased in 2010 with the support of an external funding grant, this vehicle has been a key part of Karinya's client service vehicles, particularly given it was so versatile both in passenger capacity and the ability to also transport goods. The iMax moved many a residential client to their new home and facilitated many group program attendances.
The iMax has been replaced with a Kia Carnival, as pictured here. Driver safety and risk management, as well as multi-passenger seating arrangements are much improved with the new vehicle. Capacity for reconfiguration for the transport of goods is also improved. Our aim in due course will be to upgrade to an electric vehicle of this type when they become somewhat more affordable for us.
We extend gratitude to National Capital Motors who provided significant consideration both in terms of trade-in values for our old vehicle, as well as new vehicle price discount. Consideration was also provided through the full-service lease terms. Special thanks to fleet sales manager, Laura and finance and insurance specialist, Stef for their support throughout the process.
The final vehicle in our fleet of 4, is a 2017 Hyundai Tucson. We hope to complete this upgrade sometime toward the end of 2028.
How I got here?
Thank you to HerCanberra and Emma Macdonald OAM for the opportunity give to our CEO, Lavinia to share her journey and talk about her work at Karinya House.
An interesting journey indeed! We are grateful Karinya is a part of it. 💜
Thank You!
Thank you to the many Friends of Karinya who are continuing to walk alongside with us during 2024/25.
We received a number of significant donations over Christmas as part of the Christmas Appeal. Every donation is valued.
We were simply stunned by the 2024 annual fundraising donation from St Francis Xavier College, who transferred a donation close to $5,000 to Karinya House. This represents amazing commitment to community engagement work by the school community to generate this support across 2024.
Karinya is fortunate to be supported by a number of schools across the Region and we wish all students, staff and school communities all the best for the 2025 school year.
#supportingwomen #standingalongside #ourvillage #ourcommunity
Karinya House is committed to reconciliation. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land and pay respects to Elders past, present and future. Sovereignty has never been ceded. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.
