Each shift may have small differences, but there should always be a shift Team Leader and a minimum number of volunteers for safety and support. 

FAQ Answers

Questions

Answers

What is the safe word and how do I use it? 

Orange Sky’s safe word is Daphne. Simply work Daphne into a conversation. Some examples include “Hey Dave, have you seen Daphne?” or “Hey is that Daphne over there?” 

A friend is distressed and requires support. How can I help them? 

Australia
The best resource to suggest is Ask Izzy - a website that lists every available service near you: https://askizzy.org.au/. While they wait for the laundry to be completed, perhaps you can jump on to the site together and find the best service near you. 

New Zealand
If you are in New Zealand you can ask the Service Provider or try Googling local support services.

A friend is talking about suicide. What should I do? 

• Ask the person about suicide directly, e.g. "are you having thoughts of suicide?"

• Stay with the person or leave them with someone responsible.

• Work with the person to keep them safe for now.

• Call one of the below support options:

  • Emergency 000 (Australia) or 111 (New Zealand);

  • Lifeline 13 11 14 (Australia) 0508 828 865 (New Zealand); or

  • Suicide Call Back 1300 659 467 (Australia)

The weather is looking bad. Do I need to cancel my shift? 

Unsafe weather affecting shift might include:

• Thunder and lightning

• High winds

• Torrential rain or flooding

• Fire or reduced air quality

• Extreme heat or cold

In the case of less severe weather such as light rain, we always aim to provide a service for friends if we can do so safely. 

If you are unsure, get in touch with your Team Leader or Service Leader for further advice. 

A friend hasn’t returned for their laundry and we have finished shift 

Unfortunately, you are unable to take the friend's laundry with you. If you can, leave it with the service provider. If that isn’t possible, try to find a safe spot on site where the friend can find it. 

Pop in an incident report so we have a record of where the laundry was left. 

Can we run shift with reduced volunteer numbers? 

Volunteer safety is the most important thing, so it is essential there are safe numbers to run shift. Unfortunately, if the minimum safe numbers aren’t able to attend shift, the shift will need to be cancelled. 

Laundry or Hybrid Van
Min. 3 volunteers

Pods, Indoor Laundry or Laundromat

Min. 2 volunteers

There has been a friend altercation/people incident

For any incidents on shift involving safety, ensure everyone is safe. If not, direct volunteers to move to their safe place and to call emergency services if required. 

Once everyone is safe, request the volunteer submit an incident report to trigger the escalation protocol. 

I’ve had a difficult experience on shift and need emotional support

All Orange Sky volunteers can access VESP, a confidential support program providing free mental health support services on:

Australia: 1300 878 379

New Zealand: 0800 349 710

Your fellow volunteers, Team Leader or Service Leader are also a great resource to talk to. 

Unrelated to on-shift support, such as uniforms, volunteer recruitment or onboarding 

Our Service Support number is to assist with on-shift support, however the Orange Sky team would love to chat during business hours - Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm (AEST). You can get in touch at:

Australia 
(07) 3067 5800 

volunteer@orangesky.org.au

New Zealand

 +64 9 801 6455 (NZ) 

volunteer@orangesky.org.nz