Empower Packs Program

The Empower Packs Program

The Empower Packs Program aims to connect friends with a choice in what they want to purchase, ensuring the items they receive are truly useful and preferred by them. It's all about connecting needs with compassion.

Empower Packs is a new initiative being piloted alongside Orange Sky shifts, to connect friends with products they specifically request. During the pilot phase, an Orange Sky staff member and a team of volunteer "Connectors" will visit selected shifts to chat with friends and offer them the opportunity to purchase selected items from a local store. The "Connector" volunteer team will take friends requests, purchase the items, and deliver them back to friends before the end of shift. Friends can specify details like brand, scent and colour, making their selections more personal and meaningful.

Orange Sky volunteers are not expected to take on any additional responsibilities for the Empower Packs Program. Empower Packs is run and has a distinct brand to separate them from Orange Sky intentionally. This is to maintain clear expectations for friends about what Orange Sky and its volunteers provide: clean laundry, warm showers and genuine, non-judgemental conversations. Empower Packs team members will have a distinct uniform, signifying their separate role.  

During the pilot phase, the Empower Packs team will notify volunteers in the Shift WhatsApp Group in advance if they will be present at a shift. This is not a regularly scheduled service - which will be communicated to friends when the team is on shift.

FAQs

What is the Empower Packs Program?

Empower Packs is a program that works along Orange Sky, to connect friends with products that they request.During the pilot phase, an Orange Sky staff member and a team of volunteer "Connectors" will visit selected shifts to chat with friends and offer them the opportunity to have selected items from a local store purchased for, and gifted to, them.

What impact will the program have?

We are hoping that the program will offer friends more choice in what they want to purchase, rather than being gifted items that may not be of use to them, or they cannot use. This opportunity allows the friend to be specific in items that they choose, including brand, scent, colour, etc). 

What is expected of me (an Orange Sky volunteer)?

There are no expectations placed on Orange Sky volunteers. The Empower Packs team have a different uniform colour and brand to Orange Sky, and they are a separate program and offering. If a friend asks you a question about Empower Packs, you can find most answers on a laminated notice inside the Orange Sky van with more information.

Will this be offered at all shifts?

The program is currently being piloted on Brisbane shifts. An Orange Sky staff member will reach out to your team in your Shift WhatsApp Group to alert you ahead of time that they will be present at your shift. This won't be a regularly scheduled service, which will be communicated to friends when connecting with them on shift.

Why is this being run separate to Orange Sky?

Because this program won't be a regular event, we want to ensure that our friends' expectations on what Orange Sky, and what Orange Sky volunteers provide, is kept separate to other offerings. Orange Sky provides access to clean laundry, warm showers and genuine, non-judgemental conversations. The Boundary Box Guidelines remain in place for Orange Sky volunteers to keep healthy boundaries with friends.

How is this funded? 

This program is specifically funded and provided volunteers for by some of our corporate partners.

Who can I contact for more information?

Please email volunteer@orangesky.org.au if you'd like to chat to someone further about the program, or if during business hours of 8:30am - 5:00pm, please contact the office phone line on (07) 3067 5800.