Roundabout Canberra CEO Hannah Andrevski and Karinya House CEO Lavinia Tyrrel. Photo: Liv Cameron.

Every woman should be surrounded by the support she needs to thrive during and after pregnancy.

For women dealing with the stresses of financial strain, family violence or housing insecurity, a warm and dependable network is even more important.

On 5 May, three remarkable, female-led businesses will come together to support Canberran women at the Hope Starts Here Mothers’ Day Charity Luncheon – Karinya House, Roundabout Canberra and Parker Coles Curtis.

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Karinya House is a charity that seeks to provide a safe and caring environment for women from all walks of life.

“Every woman comes to us with their own lived experience, and we provide them with time, space, safety, and a listening ear so that they can decide how best to move forward with their lives,” Jo Saccasan, finance and business manager at Karinya House says.

“We also provide full casework management including safe accommodation, support to rebuild health and wellbeing, as well as maternal and child health support and links to education and training.

“Often women accessing our services need some material support as well, which is where our relationship with Roundabout Canberra comes in.”

Karinya House also spearheads fundraisers such as the Mercy Walk, pictured here in 2022. Photo: Karinya House.

Karinya House partners with Roundabout Canberra to organise care packages for women in contact with the organisation.

“Prior to our relationship with Roundabout Canberra, we accepted limited donations of goods and prepared packages ourselves with the limited resources we had available – when Roundabout came along in 2017, it was like an answer to a prayer,” says Jo.

“It relieves our caseworkers and allows them to focus on personal support, which makes a real difference in the time we can spend on each woman’s needs.

“We decided to partner with Roundabout on the Luncheon as well this year, so we could pool our resources and networks to raise funds together in support of women and their families.”

Roundabout Canberra CEO Hannah Andrevski chimes in with a note on the earnest relationship between Karinya House, Roundabout Canberra and Parker Coles Curtis.

“We take good quality donations of baby and children’s items and clean, check and prepare them with love and care before distributing them to families in need across Canberra,” she says.

“Karinya House was the first service we ever worked with and they continue to be one of our biggest supporters.

“Parker Coles Curtis, being a female-led family law practice, has values that align with our mission perfectly so I can’t think of a better major sponsor for an event like this.”

Roundabout Canberra distributes baby and children’s goods to families in need across the region. Photo: Supplied.

Hannah says the luncheon, supported by the iconic Hyatt Hotel Canberra, will be full of warmth. It presents a unique opportunity to share, learn and show solidarity on a very special day of the year.

“We’ve got a sensational spread of tasty food, lovely wine, and local entertainment lined up for quests to enjoy,” she says.

“Virginia Haussegger is our keynote speaker; she’s a powerful advocate and her passion really shines through whenever she speaks.

“All in all, this is a chance for us to come together and raise some vital funds for women across Canberra who are impacted by homelessness, family violence or other inequities.”

Debra Parker is one of three founding female directors of family law firm Parker Coles Curtis.

“My mission is to help steer people through the unknown to a place where they can feel safe, comfortable and settled,” says Debra.

“Karinya House and Roundabout Canberra share that mission – I admire the work these amazing female leaders do and how many lives they touch.

“Parker Coles Curtis takes great pride in being selected to be the principal partner of this event.”

Running alongside the Luncheon is the public ‘Give a High 5 for Hope Appeal – anyone can get involved in this inspiring celebration. What better way to spend your Mothers’ Day?