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Karinya News - December 2024
Dear Friends of Karinya
Festive Greetings from CEO, Lavinia
It is hard to believe that 2025 is almost upon us. As we move towards the festive break, I wanted to personally thank you – our friends, readers and supporters – for the generosity you have shown to the women and children we walk alongside in 2024.
Across 2024, I have been overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity that exists in our community, and which surrounds the team at Karinya House, and most importantly the women we walk alongside.
I hope you can take a moment, as we near the end of the year, to appreciate that your support has enabled us to walk alongside 147 women (and their babies and children) over the financial year 2023-24. This reflects an astonishing 20,789 hours of direct care services and 6,401 bed nights.
At an individual level, your support has demonstrated to the women we walk alongside that there is a village around them – you are their village - and you see their strength and take great joy in the strides women are making, no matter how seemingly small, in their lives. For some women, this impact can last across generations. We recently heard from a woman who was supported by Karinya House 18 years ago. She shared with us her incredible story:
“Today, I am proud to say that I am a homeowner, a professional with a fulfilling job, and a mother of two amazing daughters. My journey from uncertainty to stability would not have been possible without the support of Karinya House. They gave me the foundation I needed to rebuild my life and to provide a loving, secure environment for my daughter...Karinya House exists to lift women up, to remind us that we are not alone, and that with the right support, we can overcome even the most daunting obstacles.”
Thank you again for your support. Have a safe and happy festive break.
Lavinia
Lavinia Tyrrel - Chief Executive Officer
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.
Christmas Appeal 2024
The image for this year's Christmas Appeal has been shared with us by from Sarah Richards of Marrawuy Journeys. Marrawuy Journeys is a rich tapestry of contemporary Aboriginal art, born from the heart and soul of Sarah, a Ngiyampaa woman whose lineage and experiences shape her unique artistic narrative.
We have been wonderfully supported in recent weeks with sponsors for gifts and hampers for the women we walk alongside. Thank you to all who have taken up this mantle.
Gratitude to The Tall Foundation and New Step Podiatry who have provided financial donations to support Christmas at Karinya House this year for all the women we are walking alongside. This will include Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve celebrations for women (and babies and children) in residence and support other costs of service delivery during this time. We remain open and available every day of the year including the Christmas / Festive / summer season.
Appreciation also to partners who have become gift sponsors or who are hosting a giving tree for Karinya House. Great consideration has been given to specific gift acquisitions and collections for the women we are supporting. Parker Coles Curtis, Parbery, Farrar Gesini Dunn, BAL Lawyers, Hyatt Hotel Canberra, Datacom, Sri Sathya International, Canberra Women's Book Club, Garran House - Canberra Grammar School.
To date, financial donations to the Christmas Appeal from our Friends have been warm and generous and remain a key component of our annual operating platform. We would like to acknowledge each of you for your support.
If you are interested in obtaining a bundle of 2024 Karinya Christmas cards for your personal Christmas card greetings, please contact us.
Christmas Lights at Burraly Court!
Katie and the Burraly Court neighbourhood have been hard at work setting up their amazing Christmas Lights display.
The little village of Burraly Court are again supporting the Karinya Village through donations collected in response to their Christmas Lights display. We thank everyone who are part of this wonderful court of humans!
If you love the joy of Christmas lights, take a drive! Best seen from 8.30pm onwards, every evening across December.
Karinya House Annual Report 2023-24
The Karinya House Annual Report for the financial year ended 30 June 2024 is now available on our website. The Karinya House Financial Report 2023-24 is also available, for those who have a particular interest.
You can read about the year in review and see the impact of your support and partnership with us.
We understand Annual Reports are not everyone's cup of tea, however, one of our partners who has viewed the report did say: "I've just had the pleasure of reading through the Annual Report, the work undertaken is so impressive." 😉
We thank our wonderful Executive Officer, Ellen who compiled this year's report 🙌🏽🙌🏽. We acknowledge the beautiful graphic design images which come to us from Stella Evans. We thank Liam and all at Paper Monkey who again gifted Karinya with the design work that makes everything look good and much easier to read! Elect Printing have printed several copies of the report for us at no cost. (If you would like a hard copy, please contact us.)
We thank RSM Canberra for their professional audit services, which are paramount to presenting full audited financial statements for the financial year, a critical part of good governance.
Snippets....
“Karinya is part of my and my baby's story now. Karinya gave me the skills to look after my baby that will last a lifetime.”
“Karinya was exactly what I needed, and everyone did everything they said they would - it was amazing.”
"Karinya is a good service for mums going through a tough time - I now have new friends and skills."
A woman doing research into maternal and child health stated - "Karinya staff have been very supportive of my research and the women I have yarned with have consistently praised Karinya House for the support they give women in challenging circumstances."
#humansofkarinya
StreetSmart Australia - CafeSmart!
Recently, Karinya House was one of numerous beneficiaries to receive a grant made possible through StreetSmart Australia and their CafeSmart program. The funding is a partnership with local cafes and their customers who support CafeSmart all across Australia.
And yes - we do have CafeSmart local cafes in Canberra!
The $2,000 grant will fund the purchase of 40x $50 Gift Cards. The gift cards will be provided to women to assist with the increased cost of living and support the purchase of daily essentials such as groceries, personal and baby care items, and transport, further supporting a sense of wellbeing.
Karinya Fleet Upgrade
The Karinya fleet (four vehicles) is a key part of service delivery infrastructure. The Karinya Committee approved replacement of three of our vehicles, being at minimum 10 years in service each.
Aspects of safety, risk management as well as serviceability of the vehicles were all considered as part of the research undertaken to determine best replacement vehicles and in approving this significant investment in service delivery infrastructure.
With our organisational focus on sustainability and our environmental impact, the replacement of two of the vehicles, has been completed. The team are now utilising two EVs as part of the fleet. Extensive staff training was undertaken prior to driving with passengers being engaged!
We extend gratitude to Canberra Toyota who provided significant consideration both in terms of trade-in values for our old vehicles, as well as new vehicle price discounts. Consideration was also provided through the full-service lease terms. Special thanks to Mirko Milic - Dealer Principal and Belinda McKay - Business Manager and Fleet Coordinator for their support throughout the process. Belinda is featured in the image here with Sarah, our Finance and Administration Officer, who wonderfully managed a significant update of process documentation and coordinated staff and volunteer orientation with the new vehicles, with great support from Casework Navigator, Millie!
We also thank our partner, ECG Electrical for the quick, and discounted, installation of a Tesla Wall Charger.
Thank You!
Thank you to the many Friends of Karinya who are continuing to walk alongside with us during 2024/25.
We acknowledge the Medical Women's Society of the ACT and Region who raised almost $1,500for Karinya House recently. ✨
Event planning for 2025 is underway. Ideas and insights have been generated through the Women4Women Circle, sharing their knowledge with us in support of the Karinya vision. More news coming in the new year - which we know is not too far away. 🎉🥂👟👟!
On a final note, for 2024, the Editor thanks you all for subscribing to "Karinya News". The various responses and insights throughout the year shared on occasion by return email have been appreciated. All best wishes to each of you over the Christmas season and into the New 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.
