Carinity Christmas Appeal: Seeking help is an act of courage

For many teenagers, life’s challenges can be overwhelming.

Each year, Carinity helps thousands of young Queenslanders who are in need or who are facing disadvantage, by delivering mental, physical, emotional and financial support.

Our mission is to provide high-quality care and services to make a real difference to struggling teenagers.

Carinity CEO Jon Campbell is inviting community members to support the expansion of Carinity’s youth services by donating to the 2018 Carinity Christmas Appeal.

“These youth services include providing crisis accommodation and emergency housing for homeless youth, assisting young people with a disability, special assistance education for those who struggle in mainstream schooling, and counselling services for at-risk teenagers living with mental illness,” Jon says.

“By supporting the 2018 Carinity Christmas Appeal, your kindness and generosity will go a long way brightening the future of a young person like Makhala Swinson.”

Before she sought help from counsellors at Carinity, Makhala was reclusive and battled suicidal thoughts.

“I was 14 and had been fighting at school when my school referred me to Carinity. A traumatic event in my life had caused me to become withdrawn and suicidal,” Makhala says.

“I wasn’t eating properly and I was self-harming. The counsellors gave me ways to talk to my parents about my problems. I was ready to accept I had a problem and that I needed to get help.”

Carinity’s counselling allowed Makhala to turn her life around by teaching her how to cope with challenges.

“For me, a big turning point in my life was when I was introduced to a timid horse with one eye, named Karma. I learned to ride and together we got better.”

Now 26, Makhala is a therapeutic care worker who helps young people with mental illness. She hopes to start her own equine therapy program, using horses she rescues, to assist people facing difficulty.

“All this would not have been possible without early intervention of counsellors,” Makhala says.

Carinity Youth and Families has counselled and supported around 3,000 young people over the past five years, helping them to develop successful coping strategies to deal with abuse, neglect, depression, anxiety, bullying, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and family relationships.

We have saved lives – and reduced the number of teens falling through the cracks.

You can help support the expansion of Carinity’s youth services by donating to the 2018 Carinity Christmas Appeal.

Donations can be made online at carinity.org.au/donations or by phoning (07) 3550 3737.