emPOWER.me: social service design innovation for homeless families with children in Australia

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Title: emPOWER.me: social service design innovation for homeless families with children in Australia
Author(s): Melles, Gavin; Howard, Zaana; Davis, Dylan; Thielking, Monica; Farrugia, Matthew; MacKenzie, David; Turton, Paul
Abstract: Individual donation and business sponsoring of goods and services to homeless groups often mediated by agencies, such as the Salvation Army, has proved critical in addressing injustices. In contrast no specific service design model coordinating individual and business philanthropy with agency intervention and government support exists for at risk and homeless women and children. Non-government organisations (eg. Melbourne City Mission) currently addressing needs have a broad mandate in supporting individuals and families through social disadvantage, where homelessness is only one issue in their mandate, and homeless families are only a single issue. We aim to capture the philanthropic sentiment in the public and business sectors and direct it specifically to a growing need in Victoria and Australia. Empower.me aims to prototype and visualise a model that allows business and individual philanthropy to better support the homeless sector through a central coordinating agency. Empower.me, developed, through consultation with a range of stakeholders including experts from the Institute of Social Research (Swinburne University) and Melbourne City Mission over a three month period, particularly addresses the early stages of homelessness.
Publication type: Design
Research centre: Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Design
Research centre: Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Life and Social Sciences. The Swinburne Institute for Social Research
Source: Finalist in the Design Research Institute Design Challenge 2011: Homelessness, exhibited at Federation Square, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 14-21 April 2012
Publication year: 2011
Keyword(s): Charity; Design; Donations; Homelessness; Melbourne; Philanthropy
Publisher: Design Research Institute, RMIT University
Publisher URL: http://www.designresearch.rmit.edu.au/dri/programs/design-challenge/2011-design-challenge-homelessness/design-challenge-2011-homelessness-entries-finalists/empower.me-mobile-phone-recharging-stations