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Volume 14 Issue 1 - February 2012
From little things…Boorowa to Galong charity walk
raises $14,000 for Karinya!
There is an in-house joke at Karinya that each and every
fundraising endeavour is accompanied by a major weather
event! Not to be outdone on a blustery, overcast September
day 110 women ranging in age from 14 to 74 undertook a
28 kilometre charity walk from Boorowa to Galong NSW. As
a result, these amazing women raised almost $14,000 for
Karinya House. The charity walk was facilitated by two
inspirational local Boorowa girls, Katrina and Teena McGrath.
Katrina and Teena initially spoke to Karinya’s Director, MarieLouise Corkhill, about their idea in May and she was
understandably overwhelmed with their generosity and
vision. The purpose of their walk, apart from raising much
needed funds for Karinya, was to raise awareness of the
suffering, moral injustice and human rights issues faced by
women and children throughout the world.
“Karinya House was chosen as the designated charity
because of the love, care and support they provide to
women and children in crisis and because these women
and children are virtually on our doorstep”, said Teena.
Katrina also added “we are essentially women walking for
women.”
The journey began on the grounds of St Patrick’s Church at
Boorowa and concluded at the Galong monastery. Well
earned refreshments including a glass of champagne or
juice was enjoyed by the participants at the end of this epic
achievement.
The walk was also sponsored by a number of local Boorowa
businesses. “It would have been impossible to put this
event together and have it run so smoothly if we did not
have the support and enthusiasm of local people”, Teena
reiterated.
Marie-Louise Corkhill walked the journey with her mother,
Leonie, who was acknowledged by the other participants as
‘a real inspiration’. At the end of the walk Marie-Louise
expressed her heartfelt thanks on behalf of Karinya House
and the women and children we support, noting that that
homeless, pregnant and parenting women come to Karinya
from regional NSW as well as the ACT. She also thanked the
support and catering crew, being Danny and Dermot
McGrath, Neil Stuart, Ally McGrath, Marie Martin, Patty
Boulding and Nick Nadycz. In addition, we acknowledge
the wonderful assistance provided by Karinya House
Volunteers, Markus Gibson-Huck and Sam Longley, who
formed part of the support crew.
We are immensely grateful to Teena and Katrina for their
efforts in making this day such a successful event. Sincere
thanks also to all the women who undertook the journey
and their supporters, for their generosity and enthusiasm in
raising awareness of the injustices within our communities
and raising vital funds to support Karinya’s work.
Insidethisissue
From little things…Boorowa to Galong charity walk
raises $14,000 for Karinya!
1
From our Management Committee
2
Lisia’s story
3
Coins for Karinya exceeds all expectations
3
Meet our Staff – Jessica Wilson
4
Mother’s Day Ball – save the date!
4
Aussie Farmers Direct
4
A very special thank you to…
5&6
How you can help Karinya House
7
Our corporate, community and
government partners
8
Project 1000 donation form
Insert
Aussie Farmers Direct flyer
Insert
Volume 14 Issue 1 - February 2012
from
our Management Committee
Dear friends of Karinya House
As Karinya House enters another year of service to the ACT and
surrounding regions, it is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the
changing fortune and growth we have experienced during the
past year. The value and importance of Karinya’s work continues
to be endorsed through notable donations, successful fundraising
events, increased recognition of our work in the community and
most importantly, the happiness and improved future of so many
of our Clients.
Thank you to our many supporters for their continued kindness
and generosity, which is always most evident at Christmas. Your
contributions to our annual Christmas Appeal ensured our Clients
and their families did not go without the goodwill, gifts and
special treats many of us enjoy during this festive season. I am
thrilled to announce that the Christmas Appeal raised $13,420 –
a truly amazing result!
The practical and in-kind assistance we receive from the
community at Christmas is also a wonderful endorsement of the
work we do. We were delighted and overwhelmed by the quality
and quantity of items donated and have written to each donor
individually to thank them. The items were included in the
Christmas hampers we distributed to our Clients and their
families. As ever, we extend our sincere appreciation to Karinya’s
Associate Director, Luisa Lopes, who tirelessly put together 103
gift and/or food hampers. This is an enormous task which she
fulfills on a voluntary basis each and every year – thank you Luisa!
At our Annual General Meeting on 22 November we sadly
farewelled three longserving members of our Management
Committee, Mark Waldron, Betty Meyer, and Carol Sawyer.
Mark has fulfilled the role of Treasurer since May 1998. He has
dedicated his skill and expertise to the role during this time and
we are indebted to him for his support for more than 13 years.
We are pleased to announce that Committee member, Dino Vido,
has accepted the role of Treasurer.
Betty Meyer joined the Management Committee in November
2005 and her role as Secretary has been invaluable. Her warm
and gentle presence has meant so much to us all and we thank
her sincerely. Catherine Cooney has generously taken on the dual
roles of Secretary and Vice President.
Carol Sawyer, who is also General Manager of the Canberra
Southern Cross Club, has served on the Committee since March
2009. Carol has played a significant role by imparting her
professional advice and broad corporate experience in support of
our organisation. We will continue to be assisted by Carol as we
maintain our ongoing partnership with the Canberra Southern
Cross Club.
At the AGM we also welcomed two new Committee members,
Rod Frazer and Belinda Clark. Rod and Belinda have both come
to us with a wealth of experience in their respective fields and we
thank them wholeheartedly in advance for their time and
dedication.
2
The remaining Committee members all agreed to fulfill their
existing roles into next year. I thank them for their unfailing
support for Karinya House.
I also wish to acknowledge the invaluable commitment of our
Director, Marie-Louise Corkhill, during the past year. Many
challenges have presented themselves and staffing has been
critical, yet the care and welfare of our Clients has been
consistently maintained. Thank you dear Marie-Louise and all our
Staff and Volunteers!
We ended the year in festive style at our Committee, Staff and
Volunteer Christmas dinner at Teatro Vivaldi Restaurant at the
ANU. Owners of the restaurant, Mark Santos and Anthony Hill,
have been generous financial supporters and friends of Karinya
House for many years. Thank you Mark and Anthony for providing
such a beautiful venue and delicious menu time and time again!
The Christmas celebrations continued in December with our
annual Client Christmas Party at the Dickson Aquatic Centre. As in
previous years, this provided a wonderful opportunity for Karinya’s
Staff and Volunteers to spend a day with our Clients and their
children in an atmosphere of relaxation and friendship. The
Christmas Party included a visit from Santa, a sausage sizzle and
the giving of gifts. As can be seen from the photos below, it was
a truly memorable way to mark the end of the year.
As we enter 2012, please reflect on the new lives coming into the
world at Karinya House and the part you have played in instilling
hope amongst our Clients and their families. Please keep that
hope and generous spirit alive through your support so that we
may continue this vital work.
May it be a year of health, happiness
and prosperity for all our supporters.
Warmest regards
Sarah Kelly
President
karinyahouse - for mothers & babies
Volume 14 Issue 1 - February 2012
Lisia’s story
Originally from Tonga, Lisia first heard about Karinya House
at the start of last year. At that time she was homeless and
living in a car with her two year old daughter and newborn
son. Lisia herself was recovering from a Caesarean delivery.
The family of three were living on only $169 a fortnight.
She says “I felt neglected, I felt life was hopeless.” In
particular she struggled with feeling that she “had no voice
about the kids, no dignity.”
Lisia said when she was offered residency at Karinya, two
weeks after her first interview, she felt like “a burden is
gone...I felt so relieved...it was so welcoming with so much
hospitality.” She has found that the support given at Karinya
“covers every perspective of my life.”
Upon moving to Karinya, Lisia’s life instantly changed for
the better “I couldn’t believe Karinya House could do the
things they could.” As part of her casework support plan
Lisia was assisted in gaining her Learner Driver’s Licence,
attending the Parent Toddler Program at Canberra
Montessori School, applying for an ACT Housing property,
receiving regular Centrelink payments, accessing
counselling, attending groups at Karinya House and the
Gungahlin Child and Family Centre and having regular
contact with the Maternal and Child Health Nurses. Lisia is
particularly grateful for the help she received in gaining
permanent Australian residency status. She says that
“without Karinya I don’t know where I would be.”
Lisia describes the support she has received as “very
effective, very dynamic.” For Lisia, her involvement with
Karinya has been “a dream come true.” When asked how
her life has changed since living at Karinya, she explained
that Karinya’s Staff have helped in “bringing back my
dignity as a woman and as a mother. At the start I felt so
powerless and now I feel in control. ” Lisia has found “each
and every Staff person is an inspiration.”
When she contacted Karinya House, Lisia didn’t know much
about what the service had to offer, “I knew Karinya was a
place for babies and when I saw the set up and the
performance of the Staff, I just felt at home from the very
first interview.”
Lisia is pictured here with her two beautiful children,
Maureen and Orry. They have recently moved into a threebedroom Housing ACT property and are now starting the
next exciting chapter of their lives with ongoing outreach
support from Karinya House.
Coins for Karinya exceeds all
expectations
As an added incentive, Karinya’s Associate Director, Luisa
Lopes, prepared two sumptuous gourmet food hampers
which were awarded to the individual and group who
collected the most coins respectively. Thank you Luisa for
your generosity and creativity!
“I came to Karinya in March
and this has been a very big
stepping stone in my life,
moving ahead...where I am
now with my kids, Karinya is
my hero. The kids are so
happy and healthy...I am so
grateful and proud of myself
as a mother...The inspiration
and contribution (the Staff)
show through their service,
has inspired me to be a
faithful and committed
mother.” - Lisia
This annual fundraising initiative
concluded on 31 October 2011. For
the second year running our
supporters embraced the notion of
collecting their loose change for a
three month period and donating
the proceeds to Karinya.
In 2010 the project raised
$638.85. We are delighted to
announce that this figure was
well surpassed in 2011, with a
total of $3,780.06 being raised by generous individuals,
businesses, schools and community groups.
karinyahouse - for mothers & babies
Pictured here is Peter Heweston, who was the individual
winner. The AIS Aqua Group were the grateful recipients of
the group prize.
Special thanks to everyone who registered for the project
and helped us achieve this amazing result. Coins for Karinya
will run again this year from 1 July to 31 October and
registration information will be included in future issues of
Karinya News.
3
Volume 14 Issue 1 - February 2012
meet
our Staff
Jessica Wilson
When Jessica opted for a
career change in 2011, she
says she felt drawn to the
vision of Karinya House and
the opportunity to support
some of the most vulnerable
members of our community.
“I had been working within
the public health system for
over four years, but was
keen to gain experience in a
smaller organisation within
the community sector...and
I love spending time with
babies and children!”
Jessica successfully applied
for a position at Karinya and commenced in her
role as a Caseworker in September 2011.
rewarding things about working at Karinya, but I particularly
love receiving donations from people all over Canberra and
even interstate. It’s extremely encouraging to meet people
who are so generous in giving what they have. There is a
real sense of community among our supporters and I feel
lucky to be able to see such a beautiful side to Canberra
and beyond.”
During her time at Karinya, Jessica has developed a
wonderful rapport with our residential and outreach Clients.
“The residents at both Karinya House and Erin House have
been very welcoming to me. I’m often inspired by the
approach to life taken by the Clients we work with and it’s
a real privilege to get to know each Client and to be able to
provide as much support as possible. It is also very
rewarding to provide support to the women and children
we work with. The Clients are so grateful for the help we
provide and this is very humbling.”
Recently Jessica took on the mammoth task of overhauling
the garage area at Karinya, where we store the significant
amount of baby goods and other practical items which are
donated by the wider community. “There are many
We have welcomed Jessica’s energy, commitment and fresh
ideas, all of which have made her an invaluable addition to
our team. “I have been at Karinya House for five months
now and I have been so grateful for the support and
encouragement of my colleagues. There is an extremely
strong atmosphere of teamwork amongst the Staff at
Karinya.”
Mother’s Day Ball – save the date!
Aussie Farmers Direct
Karinya’s annual Mother’s Day Ball will be held on Friday 11
May at 6:30pm in the Corinna Ballroom at the Canberra
Southern Cross Club, Woden. The Ball is a fabulous
opportunity for Karinya’s supporters to gather together in a
celebration of motherhood and raise vital funds to support
Karinya’s work.
Karinya House has recently registered with Aussie Farmer’s
Direct (AFD) as a recipient charity in their fundraising
program. The program is aimed at supporting charities,
schools and sporting groups when customers nominate one
of these registered entities in their local area. The
equivalent of 2% of the total value of purchases made by
these customers is then donated directly from AFD to the
nominated recipient.
We gratefully acknowledge the Canberra Southern Cross
Club and Peter Lehmann Wines for their ongoing
sponsorship of this event. Further details will be provided by
way of an invitational flyer, which will be sent to our
supporters in the coming weeks.
We first heard of the initiative when we were contacted by
local AFD franchise owner, Garry Hannam. Two of Garry’s
customers had asked whether Karinya House was
registered for the program and he decided to approach us
and ask if we would like to participate.
In the hope that some of our supporters may be existing
AFD customers, we decided to take Garry up on his offer.
Further details are provided in the AFD flyer enclosed with
this issue of Karinya News.
4
karinyahouse - for mothers & babies
Volume 14 Issue 1 - February 2012
a very special
thank you to…
Tiny’s Green Shed
The name would suggest otherwise, but
this wonderful reusables and recycling
facility has a big heart!
In February 2010, the owners of Tiny’s
Green Shed, Charlie Bigg-Wither, Sandie
Parkes, Goran (Tiny) Srejic and Elaine Stanford, decided to
assist local not-for-profit organisations by hosting ‘charity
days’ on the last Wednesday of each month. 100% of the
proceeds from sales on that day are retained until a total of
$10,000 is reached. The funds are then generously donated
to a chosen charity and in the latter part of 2011 it was
Karinya’s turn.
A cheque presentation at the
Shed was held in August and was
attended by the owners together
with representatives from Karinya
House, including Management
Committee President, Sarah Kelly.
Dr Chris Bourke MLA also
attended and congratulated
Tiny’s Green Shed for setting an
example for local businesses by
supporting the work of the community sector
in our region.
Pictured here from left are Elaine Stanford, Sarah Kelly, Dr
Chris Bourke and Sandie Parkes.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the fabulous team at the
Shed for their generosity and community spirit.
Canberra Montessori School
In September we were
contacted by Jack Rice,
Principal of Canberra
Montessori School. Mr
Rice had identified a shared goal between our two
organisations in providing opportunities for young children.
He kindly invited Karinya’s Director, Marie-Louise Corkhill
and Midwife, Anne Brown, to attend one of the Friday
morning sessions of the Parent Toddler Program at the
Holder campus, with a view to Karinya’s clients and their
children participating in the program.
Following this visit, we were excited to learn that Canberra
Montessori School had decided to offer two placements free
of charge to Karinya’s clients. The placements commenced
on a trial basis in the fourth term of the school year.
The Parent Toddler program involves children aged
between eighteen months and three years attending with
karinyahouse - for mothers & babies
their parent or carer for two hours, once a week, in an
environment which has been specifically tailored to
respond to the child’s growing need for independence.
The range of activities and exercises offered includes
language enrichment, hand-eye co-ordination, visual
discrimination, practical life skills, art and music.
The trial program was a great success and has been
extended for the first term of the current school year. Lisia
and her daughter Maureen, who feature in our article on
page 3, are attending. We thank Karinya Volunteer, Ruth
Walpole, for transporting them to their weekly sessions and
minding Lisia’s son, Orry, so Mum and Maureen can share
this quality time.
In term four of last year the other placement was utilised by
one of our outreach Clients, Katie, and her son, Lincoln. Katie
and Lincoln featured in our last issue of Karinya News. This
term, former resident, Fiona, and her daughter, Eva, are
attending.
We extend our sincere gratitude to Jack Rice and the Staff
and Board at Canberra Montessori School for providing this
wonderful opportunity.
St Francis Xavier College
In a display of their commitment to the
wider community in 2011, each of the
four House groups at St Francis Xavier
College in Florey were asked to sponsor
a local charity. We were delighted to
learn the students of Pindari House
kindly elected to sponsor Karinya House.
In a letter to the parents, students and friends of the
College, House Captains, Belinda Milne and Brent Brosnan,
wrote “We ask that you support our
endeavours to raise
awareness and provide
assistance
for
this
fantastic work, as it is
definitely a charity close
to many families’ hearts.”
The letter went on to
request donations of
practical items, baby
goods and money.
The response from the
College community was
nothing short of overwhelming! Belinda and Brent are
pictured here with some of the hundreds of items collected,
including toys, clothing, nappies and prams. A cheque for
$372 was also presented.
5
Volume 14 Issue 1 - February 2012
We are sincerely grateful to the students of Pindari House
and their families for providing this generous support.
Special thanks also to House Patron, Mrs Janet Gratton, for
overseeing their wonderful efforts.
Hands Across Canberra
Hands Across Canberra is providing the
Canberra community with a new
approach to philanthropy and giving. It is
led by a Board comprising community,
business and government leaders who
are committed to improving the lives of
the most vulnerable people in our
community.
Hands Across Canberra celebrated its first year at a luncheon
on Tuesday 29 November. Over 250 guests from business,
government and local community organisations attended
the event which was designed to facilitate and build
connections between community organisations, individuals
and businesses that might be able to support them in a
variety of ways to build their capacity to do their great work.
“Hands Across Canberra
was
launched
in
November 2010 with 25
organisations registered
on our giving portal and I
am pleased to announce
that there are now 70
organisations profiled on
the website that people
can donate to,” said Mr
Allan Williams, Chair of the Hands Across
Canberra Foundation. Karinya House is one of the
organisations registered on the website.
Maddy Thorne
As is previous years, we were
delighted and overwhelmed by the
generosity of the wider community
in the lead up to Christmas.
Donations of gifts, toys and food
were delivered to Karinya on a
daily basis, ensuring our residential
and outreach Clients and their
families were able to fully
experience the joy and goodwill
associated with the festive
season.
We are immensely grateful to each and every individual
and organisation who contributed during this time. We
were particularly moved by one such donation from
seventeen year old, Maddy Thorne.
Maddy heard of Karinya’s work when she was one of the
first group of students to participate in the Cooking for
Karinya project at Merici College.
The project encourages Year 10 students and their parents
to attend regular evening cooking sessions in the College
kitchens and prepare a variety of nutritious meals. The
frozen meals are then delivered to Karinya and are
distributed to Clients and their families who are
experiencing financial hardship.
Towards the end of last year Maddy, who is now entering
Year 12, decided to find a way of further supporting Karinya
by hosting a mother/daughter Body Shop party in her
home. She invited her friends and their mothers along to
sample and purchase an array of Body Shop products and
as a reward for the number of purchases made, she was
entitled to select a range of products free of charge.
During the event, Mr Williams presented four local
community organisations, including Karinya House, with
grants of $5,000 each to assist them in building their
capacity to help people in need in our community. Mr
Williams is pictured here presenting the Foundation’s
cheque to Karinya’s Management Committee President,
Sarah Kelly.
Rather than keep the products for herself, Maddy lovingly
gift-wrapped each item and contacted Karinya offering to
donate the products as Christmas gifts for our Clients.
“I am delighted to be presenting this support to such
deserving organisations. Hands Across Canberra hopes to
build its philanthropic funds to be able to support more local
community organisations in the future, particularly those
that find it difficult to attract government or other funding.”
We continue to be inspired by the kindness and compassion
of our community. On behalf of our clients we extend our
heartfelt thanks to our supporters who, like Maddy,
contribute to Karinya’s vital work in so many ways.
Maddy, pictured here during her visit to Karinya, embodies
the generosity and community spirit we are privileged to
witness throughout the year, particularly during the
Christmas season.
Karinya House gratefully acknowledges the support of
Hands Across Canberra. We look forward to our continued
involvement as we work together to enhance the lives of
women, children and families throughout the region.
6
karinyahouse - for mothers & babies
Volume 14 Issue 1 - February 2012
How you can help Karinya House…
Project 1000
We will still be accepting the following new or pre-loved
items:
For the financial year ended 30 June 2011, Karinya received
60% government funding (48% recurrent). To ensure the
continued financial viability of our organisation, we must
rely on the support of the wider community for the
remaining 40%. This support is vital and allows Karinya to
meet the significant costs associated with caring for an ever
increasing number of women, children and families.
- Port-a-cots
Project 1000 is Karinya’s ongoing appeal to establish
recurring financial support from 1000 individuals or families
who wish to partner with us to enhance the lives of those
who are amongst the most vulnerable in our community.
We encourage you to consider a contribution of $200 per
annum in monthly, quarterly or annual increments. This
equates to roughly $3.80 per week – less than the average
cup of coffee! Donations are fully tax deductible and can be
made by cheque, credit card or electronic funds transfer.
- Change mats
Please consider providing financial support to Karinya House
by subscribing to Project 1000 or renewing your
commitment if you have not donated recently. For further
information please contact the House on 6259 8998. A
Project 1000 donation form is also included in this issue of
Karinya News.
We rely on the support of the wider community to carry out
the folding and labelling of each issue of Karinya News. Our
sincere thanks to Alison Petchell and the wonderful team at
PricewaterhouseCoopers for once again volunteering their
time to bring you our last issue of Karinya News.
Donations
Karinya House has experienced an overwhelming influx of
practical items in recent months. This has resulted in
significant storage constraints, meaning we are no longer
able to accept the following items:
- Cots
- Cot mattresses
- Strollers that do not lay back
- Walkers
- Jolly Jumpers
- Potties
- High chairs
- Change tables
- Women’s shoes
karinyahouse - for mothers & babies
- Strollers that lay back
- Prams
- Women’s clothing
- Maternity clothing
- Nappy bags
- Bassinettes and mattresses (urgently)
- Bassinette sheets and blankets
- Towels and face washers for babies (urgently)
- Size 00000, 0000 and 000 clothing for boys and girls
- Baby bottles (new only)
Newsletters and Mailouts
Over the course of the year we also carry out various other
mail outs and we are very fortunate to have a hardworking
team of Auxiliary Supporters to assist us.
We acknowledge the following Auxilary Supporters for their
generous assistance with our Christmas card mailout in
December:
Mary Connelly
Lyn Dakers-Black
Lindy Dugard
Sheila Duke
Rae Foot
Alex and Louise Garrett
Barbara McDermott
Felicity Roberts
Pat Varga
If you are able to assist with folding and labelling a
future issue of Karinya News or would like to join our
group of Auxiliary Supporters, please contact
Jackie Gallagher on 6241 8427 or via email at
jackie.gallagher@karinyahouse.asn.au
7
Volume 14 Issue 1 - February 2012
Karinya House gratefully acknowledges the generous support of
the following corporate, community and government partners.
Funded by:
Major supporters:
The
Layout: www.berrysmith.com.au
Michaela
Arnott Foundation
Associated supporters:
Corkhill Bros
Return address: Karinya House
Box 6 Evatt Newsagency
Evatt ACT 2617
Ph: 02 6259 8998 Fax: 02 6258 0337
Email: info@karinyahouse.asn.au
Web: www.karinyahouse.asn.au
Volume 14 Issue 1 - February 2012
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