Message from Pya Sipkowski

Hi, my name is Pya Sipkowski, and I am the Undersecretary of Outreach. I am so elated to have the opportunity to be a part of Austin High’s Model UN program and get to contribute to our 2026 AUSMUN conference. I am more than excited to announce our selected charity for this year’s conference. Helping Hand Home!

Helping Hand Home is a local non-profit organization dedicated to aiding children that have experienced complex trauma. The organization began in 1893, when a newborn baby was found in a shoebox in Austin’s railway station. When word spread about this baby girl, several women stood up and took her into their own homes to give her the care she needed. From then on, the women bought a small cottage on Guadalupe Street to continue providing help to babies in need. Today, Helping Hand Home is located in the Hyde Park Neighborhood, and has evolved from not only a basic childcare facility helping neglected and abandoned children, to now a residential treatment center for children who have gone through extreme abuse and neglect. The Helping Hand Home provides children from birth to 21 years old and includes therapeutic foster care.

Visit Helping Hand Home for more information about the organization and its impact. There are some great ways to help in Helping hand’s mission, such as volunteering and donating. The support and protection of children in need will always be of high importance in our Austin community. Austin High Model UN is honored to support Helping Hand Home in this year’s conference.

Sincerely,

Pya Sipkowski

Undersecretary of Outreach