Sowing the Seed

As the second year of The Orange Seed Project draws to a close and we get set to announce the gift recipients for 2013 in just a matter of weeks, the hype begins to build once again and the questions arise about what it’s really all about.

The philosophy is simple. We live in a community. No matter how you see that community, you live in one too. I’ve always believed that Jack in the box was an organisation that prided itself on innovation, quality work, high levels of customer service, passion and heart.

Anyone who has ever walked into ‘the box’ when things are really pumping knows all about that heart. It’s a special thing to witness and not something we talk about a lot. But it exists and it’s core in every single member of the Jack in the box team.

That same heart saw an opportunity to utilise the skills and abilities they possessed, to try and make a small difference. To have an impact on the Western Australian community.

Partnering with The West Australian in 2012, Jack in the box built the project from the ground up. It was a chance to do something different. Something new. Something fresh.

Would it draw attention to the agency? Sure. Would it provide incredible promotion? You bet! We are unashamed of these outcomes because at the core of it all, The Orange Seed Project is all about one thing…helping people.

In 2 years, The Orange Seed Project will have injected over half a million dollars into the Western Australian Not for Profit sector. An achievement that we are proud to have achieved. While it is significant for a boutique agency such as Jack in the box, it is only scratching the surface of the true need that we see in our community.

The most humbling experience of all, is to read the mountains of submissions from the most incredible people doing the most amazing things within WA. Many of which you would never know existed. If The Orange Seed Project does nothing else but make us all stop for a moment and think how we could help a Not for Profit organisation better or how we could contribute to assist them to make more of a difference, then the project has been more successful than I could have ever dreamt.

If you have the power, don’t wait for someone else to take the lead. Step up. I have been afforded many incredible opportunities in my life. I have had great mentors. I have lost and I have won. In all of this, I know that there are many that have not been so fortunate. I wanted to find a way in which we could do something with all we have, to help people that sometimes didn’t even know they needed it.

Is this all a little deep? Yes…but I make no apologies for that. The Orange Seed Project is all about heart and there is a time to open up and tell it how it really is.

If you’ve been fortunate enough to bear fruit…take the time to sow a seed.