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Learn More About Our South Africa Initiative
Learn More About Our South Africa Initiative

Job Sew Powerful Country Purse Collector

Sew Powerful Volunteer Role

Sew Powerful Country Purse Collector 

 

Classification: All jobs for Sew Powerful are volunteers

Reports To: Director, Global Volunteerism

Current Incumbent: Various Volunteers

 

ROLE OF THE VOLUNTEER

The Country Purse Collector is responsible to help Sew Powerful in a specific country of their choosing by agreeing to be a ‘ship to’ location for purse makers in their own or neighboring countries. Country Purse Collectors are asked to read and understand the Sew Powerful Statement of Faith setting forth our Christian beliefs.

Summary/Objective

Collecting finished purses to ship to Sew Powerful headquarters in the United States. Because some purse makers outside the United States have expressed a reluctance to engage with Sew Powerful due to the inconvenience or the cost of shipping, the Country Purse Collector volunteer position was established to provide a more convenient and cost-effective way for individual purse makers to contribute to the success of Sew Powerful.

The first objective of this position is to be willing to accept purses from purse makers in their own or nearby countries. The Country Purse Collector should know and understand that Sew Powerful exists to combat extreme poverty in Zambia. We do that by equipping community members with jobs as well as training, tools, and technical skills to make what we call “Purposeful Products”. These are products that can bless local children and empower their academic success. School girls receive a purse made by a generous volunteer, filled with purposeful products such as feminine hygiene supplies, soap and underwear. The purses serve as the ‘vessel of love’ to deliver these life-changing supplies. That is why the role of the Country Purse Collector is so crucial to the success of our mission.

The second objective is to carefully store and record the purses that have been received, prior to shipping the collection of purses to the Sew Powerful headquarters in the United States. Sew Powerful will reimburse the Country Purse Collector for shipping costs.

Essential Job Functions

  • Willing to accept and store purses from purse makers in their own or nearby countries.
  • Acknowledges and agrees to allow Sew Powerful to publicly list the ‘shipto’ address of the Country Purse Collector on the Sew Powerful Facebook public page, in the Sew Powerful Purse Project Facebook private group, on the SewPowerful.org website, in publications and possibly mentioned in various recordings.
  • Joins and is an active member of the Facebook group 'Sew Powerful Purse Project' and makes periodic posts specifically about being the purse collector in their own country.
  • Is well organized in the following ways:
    • Keeps track of the name, address, purse quantity of each person who sends purses
    • Stores the collected purses in a climate controlled environment so the purses remain clean, dry
    • Either holds or creates a Packing Slip for each box of purses sent in (Some people will include a packing slip; some won't. For those who do not we ask our Country Purse Collectors to create a packing slip on their behalf and include it with the consolidated shipment.)
  • Calculating how long the consolidated shipment will take to get to the US, the Country Purse Collector ships all the purses with packing slips to arrive before the final priority shipping date.
  • Keeps and forwards tracking information for the consolidated shipment
  • In some cases, local sewing and fabric shops may conduct sewing days for Sew Powerful. If these are reasonably close to the Purse Collector, the Purse Collector may pick up their purses, otherwise the shops would ship to you also. The shops may or may not know to create the packing slip.
  • Though not a requirement, sending an acknowledgement of receipt and thanks will give individual purse makers peace of mind that their purses are in good hands and being held until the consolidated shipment to the United States.
  • The Country Purse Collector pays for the consolidated purse shipment, submitting for reimbursement right away. Sew Powerful reimburses the Purse Collector via PayPal within 48 hours of receiving the reimbursement request via email with a copy of the shipping receipt)

Note: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Competencies

  1. Well organized with space to store received purses in a climate-controlled, clean environment.
  2. Willing to communicate via email with Sew Powerful in the United States when clarification or additional information is needed.
  3. Has internet and printing capabilities to produce Packing Slips if needed.
  4. Customer focused, willing to be the point person for purse collection within a country.
  5. Initiative, energetic self-starter motivated to engage others in the Sew Powerful mission
  6. Results Driven, willing to organize, record, consolidate and ship purses to the Sew Powerful headquarters in the United States.
  7. Understands and supports the Sew Powerful Mission and Ministry.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position has no direct staff supervisory responsibilities. Will coordinate with other positions for the purpose of strategy, communication, and planning. May supervise volunteers on a temporary basis should the number of purses received require help to unbox and consolidate for shipment to the United States.

Reporting Relationship

This position reports to the Director, Global Volunteerism. Upon being selected as the Country Purse Collector, the Director will contact you via email providing you with Sew Powerful contact information and further direction.

Work Environment

This job operates in an off-site environment, generally from one’s own home, may work in others’ retail or civic facilities. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a volunteer to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the volunteer will be required to talk or hear. The volunteer frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The volunteer may be asked to lift and/or move objects up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move objects up to 25 pounds.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work

This is a volunteer position. Days and hours of work are determined by the volunteer, in coordination with Sew Powerful leadership, and will fluctuate based on the activities in which they are involved. Evening and weekend work frequently may be required as volunteer duties demand.

Travel

Travel is primarily local during the business day, although some out-of-the-area and overnight travel may be necessary for certain volunteer activities.

Required Education and Experience

A history of successful work, education or other volunteer experience, organizing products and engaging with others in common activities to reach a specific goal.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

  1. Willingness to engage and be strongly supportive of Sew Powerful in conversations, social media and actions in general.
  2. Heart for serving others to promote success of Sew Powerful.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the volunteer for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

OPTIONAL DUTIES:

Organizing Sew Days: At her option, the Country Purse Collector can organize local sew days to teach others how to make the purses and encourage them to get involved individually. This could be at fabric stores, civic clubs, schools service clubs, or just a group of your friends. This can also be done through others in your region, giving support to the many volunteers who might like to sponsor a sew day of their own.

Increasing public awareness. One of our biggest challenges is getting the word out. The Country Purse Collector can help by giving short presentations at all venue's that may be receptive. This may help to interest purse makers as well as financial donors. Again, this might be something you start and then train others to do in their local communities. Being available to answer questions and lend support to volunteers in your region will make a difference

Collecting fabric and making kits. Many businesses or individuals may be willing to donate fabric. The Country Purse Collector can be the focal point for seeking donations of fabric to pass on to purse makers or to cut into kits for a sew day. Fabric and kits should NOT be shipped to Sew Powerful.

Volunteer to work in a Sew Powerful booth at a Local or Regional Quilt Show: When Sew Powerful has an official booth at a Quilt Show, typically organized and paid for by Sew Powerful headquarters, the Country Purse Collector would make an excellent volunteer to greet booth visitors and share the Sew Powerful story.

Participating in brainstorming and prayer. We periodically schedule Zoom meetings with our Country Purse Collectors to talk about ideas. We will make sure to let you know ahead of time when it is scheduled. During this meeting we will talk about what is working, what did we learn from other activities we tried, what might we do next. And we will pray together for the Sew Powerful ministry to thank God for what he is doing and listen to his direction for the future. The relationships we build as Country Purse Collectors will be a wonderful support system to the purse makers, which in turn, will bless the girls and the seamstresses in Zambia.