09/07/2026
In mid-June, several of our Queensland, New South Wales and Victorian senior group volunteered to complete a Homes set-up with our charity partner, RizeUp Australia.
RizeUp provides all the practical items needed for victim-survivors of family and domestic violence to make a fresh start, including furniture and other household items that help transform empty houses into homes.
When each of our GKR teams arrived at their location, they were greeted by a RizeUp driver, an empty house and a truck filled with flatpacks and homewares. The teams set about unloading the truck, assembling the flatpacks, making beds, filling pantries and carefully decorating the space. This included fitting out children’s bedrooms and providing them with the materials needed to start at a new school.
After 4+ hours of work at each location, the transformation from house to home left a lasting memory for all involved. With the knowledge that a family would be entering their newly furnished home in the coming days, each team member took comfort in knowing that they had helped create a new beginning for someone in need.
We are incredibly grateful to RizeUp for the work they do and for the opportunity to be involved in their Homes program. We also appreciate the amazing support shown by all of our students and instructors who participate in the Stop Domestic & Family Violence Purple Belt Campaign. Your involvement means a lot, not only to RizeUp and the families they help, but also to GKR Karate as a whole.
If you would like to volunteer with RizeUp to help setting up Homes, information can be found here https://www.rizeup.com.au/volunteer
