Community Connection

Community Connection covers both the tūhono of friends connecting with volunteers and each other as well as the connection of communities working together to provide community-led solutions for their whānau.

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata” –  “What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people”.

Beyond just addressing basic hygiene needs, we recognise the profound impact genuine kōrero and connection has. Aotearoa is facing significant challenges related to homelessness and housing deprivation, including high living costs, a shortage of affordable housing, and a growing population that further strains existing resources. Staying connected and working alongside the community is integral to ensuring the well-being and needs of whānau are being supported.

Across Aotearoa our community is connected through the 24 service partners we work with, over 300 volunteers running our shifts, generous funders who believe in us, supportive community organisations we collaborate with and most importantly the whānau we see everyday.

The Orange Sky community weaves together people from all across the motu and we couldn’t do it without them. Our mahi tahi, unity and open collaboration means we can share advice, local knowledge, skills, tools, resources and impact data so we can deliver better outcomes for whānau experiencing homelessness and hardship.

We are committed to a collaborative, community-led approach. This includes our commitment to ensuring our service design and delivery is built with te ao Māori at the centre and aligned with the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

We know that our low-income whānau are feeling less in control of their lives and that across the motu the feelings of loneliness are increasing. 

That’s why our six orange chairs are put out at every service, our volunteers are trained to provide non-judgemental kōrero, and we work alongside community leaders and providers to spark and encourage genuine connection.