Charis Youth and Community was founded in 2013 on the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation in Melbourne, Australia, by Tia and Taua Suemai. Both of Samoan descent and originally from New Zealand, they combined their backgrounds in education, youth, and community development to support Māori and Pasifika young people in Melbourne. Since then, the organization has grown into a grassroots Pasifika initiative, expanding its services in 2022 to New Zealand, where its head office is now based, while continuing to operate across both Australia and New Zealand.