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Karinya News - July 2026
Dear Friends of Karinya
As we bring you the news from the House this July 2026, we are remembering the beautiful Elisabeth Hawkins, pictured in the image above, volunteering at the 2025 Karinya House Walk for Hope.
On behalf of everyone at Karinya House we extend our heartfelt condolences and thoughts to Elisabeth’s family, friends and all who knew and loved her.
Some of us were privileged to represent Karinya House on Thursday, 9th July, as family, friends and colleagues gathered to celebrate Lis' beautiful life well lived.
Lis started volunteering at Karinya House in 2023, having seen a story about Karinya in a community newsletter. Lis quickly became a ray of sunshine. Turning up every week with a bright smile and a willingness to do anything and everything she could to make the lives of the staff and the women we walk with easier. In 2025 Lis moved into a paid role of support worker, working weekends and overnights.
Along with all the stories of love and care, every person at Karinya who knew Lis, has used the word “kind” to describe her. The word “kind” feels like a word people use all the time, but the truth is Lis was always kind. A Kind mind, a Kind smile, a Kind heart.
Lis, we thank you for your genuine love care and support for all at and through Karinya House. We miss you. Go Well. 🤍💛
You can read more about Lis at the link below.
Celebrating NAIDOC Week
July 2026 featured the wonderful NAIDOC Week, and many insightful narratives were shared throughout the week via our daily staff comms.
One of the striking images shared with us was the NAIDOC poster from 1997, celebrating 30 years since the 1967 referendum. The artwork, entitled "Gurindji, Mabo, Wik - Three Strikes for Justice" and information about the artist can be found here. (1997 is also the year Karinya started.)
July has also seen us come to the end of our second Reconciliation Action Plan. At Karinya we have used our Innovate RAP to embed Reconciliation more purposefully into our day-to-day operations, so that Reconciliation becomes deeply intertwined in our practice. As we move into the next phase of our Reconciliation journey, we remain committed to learning and growing from our relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to ensure Karinya House is an organisation that is an agent of change.
The editor would also like to note for the record, our wonderful Perri, who often shares cultural insights with us so generously. Perri is a proud Taungurung woman. (With sincere apologies to you, Perri, for my citation error in the June eNews).
The 2026 Walk for Hope
Walk for Hope is back on Sunday 13 September 2026, and registrations are now open!
Join us as we once again walk together around the shores of Lake Burley Griffin to help provide safety, hope and a chance to thrive for women and children in our community.
Whether you walk on your own, with friends, as a family or as part of a workplace team, every step and every dollar raised helps Karinya House continue providing safe accommodation, healthcare, casework support and practical assistance to women who need it most.
To thank our early supporters, we're offering early bird registration for just $30 throughout July (normally $40). It's the perfect time to sign up, invite your family, friends or colleagues, and start building your team.
Gratitude to our wonderful Major Sponsor - DOMA
Event Details
📅 Sunday 13 September 2026
📍 Canberra Southern Cross Club Yacht Club, Yarralumla
🚶 Choose from a 4.5km or 9km walk/run
Become a Walk for Hope Champion
If you are after a challenge, you might consider becoming a Walk for Hope Champion.
Walk Champions commit to raising $4,000 for Karinya House, promoting their involvement through their networks and spreading the message that no woman should face pregnancy or parenting alone.
Champions receive free registration, complementary merchandise and a pack full of fundraising ideas and tricks designed to support your efforts.
If this is something you would be interested in, please send us a message at the contact us link below.
Below are two long term supporters, Bernadette and Genevieve who decided to join forces last year as Champions. They raised an amazing $13,280 together. Have a listen to what inspired them to sign up for this challenge.
Snippets ...
Recent insights to share ...
One of the caseworkers visited a young mum in her new home. The woman shared (and showed) that she had tried to copy what she learnt at Karinya, by having chores charts, cooking charts and shopping lists. She has specific days to do the chores and is keeping a beautiful home. She also copied the medication and feeding records for her child so she can keep on top of everything.
Message received by one of the caseworkers recently. Thank you so much for everything you and Karinya house have done for Baby and I - You guys are an absolutely beautiful bunch of people and I'm so thankful for getting to know you all. 🩷
#humansofkarinya #walkingalongsidewomen
Your support during 2025/26
Your support through the 25/26 financial year has enabled us to:
- Walk alongside 144 women and their babies/children
- Provide safe accommodation for 26 women and 27 babies/children in their care
- Assist 15 women and their families move into safe permanent housing
- Celebrate 27 births
- And give women safety, hope and home.
It takes a village – and we are so grateful to you for being part of ours.
Thank You!
A shout out to the school leaders at St Francis Xavier College who took part in the 2026 SFX Charity Sleepout. As one of the charities supported, Karinya House thanks the school leaders and the school community for their support and recognition.
There are a number of Friends who always kindly and generously donate to Karinya House in June - the end of the financial year. You know who you are. We thank you and everyone who donated during 2025/2026. Over the financial year we had 1,539 Unique Donors. 175 of these donors are recurring donors, and many more are known to recur each year.
We are thankful also to the 41 wonderful people who have become new Buds of Hope - recurring donors - joining our Foundation Rose Buddies (existing recurring donors), since we launched the creation of the Karinya Garden of Hope. Your regular contribution becomes part of the steady ground from which women can shape what comes next in their stage of growth.
#supportingwomen #standingalongside #ourvillage #ourcommunity #budofhope
Please note references to events or appeals are for the information of all our Friends. If you are an existing donor 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 is committed to reconciliation. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land and pay respects to Elders past, present and future. In this recognition, we acknowledge the never-ending connection Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People have to land, water and sky.
