On Friday 2 May, the grand ballroom of the Hyatt Hotel Canberra was filled with compassion, purpose, and heartfelt community spirit as 300 guests gathered for the 2025 Home. Hope. Horizon. Charity Luncheon in support of Karinya House.

As Principal Partners, Parker Coles Curtis was honoured to support this powerful event, which raised more than $95,400 in its first week, with the goal of reaching $120,000 by the end of May. 

These funds directly assist Karinya House in their mission to walk alongside women who are pregnant or parenting and in crisis—providing comprehensive, life-changing support.

The impact of generosity creates a safe haven for women and children in crisis

Karinya House provides wraparound services that extend far beyond shelter. Their support model includes:

• health and wellbeing: including antenatal care, medication, and medical imaging
• living essentials: tenancy assistance, groceries, clothing, and baby goods
• transport and independence: fuel vouchers, driving lessons, access to services
• pathways forward: help with education, training, employment, and legal navigation

On average, each woman supported by Karinya is walked alongside for nearly 150 days, at approximately $100 per day. This year’s fundraising goal could provide full-spectrum care for at least eight women and their children—care that empowers families and reshapes futures.

Jodie’s story: from crisis to confidence

During the event, Lavinia Tyrrel, CEO of Karinya House, shared the moving story of Jodie, a young woman who came to Karinya after fleeing a violent relationship while 12 weeks pregnant. Though employed full-time and determined to create a better future for her baby, Jodie faced significant systemic barriers, she was homeless, sleeping on a couch, and struggling to maintain her job.

Karinya House stepped in, offering emotional and practical support: antenatal care, legal guidance, food parcels, fuel vouchers, court advocacy, and eventually, safe accommodation. When her son Ned was born, Jodie’s Karinya caseworker was beside her in the delivery room, holding her hand.

Over the course of a year, Jodie and Ned received continued support, joined parenting groups, and began building a stable life. Jodie enrolled in trade school, began saving money, and eventually moved into a safe home of her own through Housing ACT—with furniture, whitegoods, and groceries all provided thanks to the Karinya community.

Jodie’s story is one of many that shows how compassionate, consistent support can transform lives, not just for one woman, but for generations to come.

Words of impact and insight

The event featured powerful contributions from MC Genevieve Jacobs, who held the program together with grace and warmth. The moving keynote address from Justice Louise Taylor reflected on the “lottery of life”, reminding us how quickly circumstances can change, and how critical it is for women to have access to support, connection, and financial independence, especially in moments of crisis and commented on the deeper value behind Karinya House’s work:

“Investment in Karinya is an investment in transformative, generational change. The value to the individual women and their children who can remain as a family unit because of Karinya is matched by the value to the community in diverting those children away from the child protection system. This is a long-term impact, the value of which I would suggest is immeasurable.”- Justice Louise Taylor

Our Director, Debra Parker, also had the privilege of speaking on behalf of Parker Coles Curtis. In her speech, Debra captured the transformational gift Karinya offers: not just refuge, but the opportunity to rebuild and recreate life after crisis.

“Karinya doesn’t just offer shelter. It offers women the opportunity to rebuild—to recreate life after crisis. It’s about more than survival. It’s about dignity, empowerment, and creating intergenerational change. That is a gift beyond measure.” - Debra Parker

Why this partnership matters to us

At Parker Coles Curtis, we know that women and families in crisis need more than just legal guidance—they need holistic support, compassion, and people willing to walk beside them through difficult transitions. As Canberra’s largest female-led family law firm, our values are deeply aligned with Karinya House’s mission.

We believe that when women are supported, they break cycles of disadvantage and create lasting change, not only for themselves but for their children and their communities. Supporting Karinya House is a natural extension of the work we do every day with our clients—and we are proud to champion their cause.

Looking forward

Planning is already underway for the 2026 Home. Hope. Horizon. Luncheon, expected to be held again in May. We encourage our community to save the date and stay connected with Karinya House via their newsletter to keep up with future events and ways to contribute.

Together, we can continue creating safe spaces, stronger families, and brighter futures—one woman, one child, one story at a time.