Having clean laundry or being able to simply pop a load of washing on late at night when we’re running short of underwear is something most of us take for granted.
But for many people right across Australia the reality is that they can’t wash their clothes when they want to. Lucus Patchett and Nic Marchesi started Orange Sky Laundry to change that.
“Lucus and I went to school together and when we left we wanted to give back to our community. So, we had this crazy idea of putting two washing machines and two driers in a van named Sudsy and driving around washing clothes for free.
“Turns out the idea wasn’t so crazy as Orange Sky turns 11 this year and we have services across Australia and New Zealand,” Nic explained.
Jordan was Orange Sky’s first friend. Lucus and Nic eagerly loaded up the washing machine with Jordan’s clothes, but they didn’t know what to next. So, they just started talking.
“Our mission is to positively connect community. What started out as a van that just washes and dries clothes grew to become vans that have showers on board, trucks that operate in remote communities, and fixed services that operate in more regional towns.
“But what it comes down to is getting people from all walks of life to come together and connect and have a conversation.
“One of my favourite quotes is ‘we get sick alone but we heal together’ and I think that is the simplicity of what Orange Sky Laundry does,” Nic said.
Jordan’s story is one that will stay with Nic and Lucus for a long time to come.
“A lot of people ask us if we’re still in touch with him. Last year we reconnected with Jordan and it was a really humbling reminder of the realities people face. Before we met him, Jordan was working in IT support and one of his greatest heroes and friends was his dad. The first night of Jordan being homeless was the day after his father’s funeral.
“Jordan talked about how quickly he got disconnected and how quickly addictive behaviours took over his life.
“We talked about this in Jordan’s living room but ten years ago it was in a park. It’s a reminder of how quickly the paths we walk can change.”
Lucus said their volunteers rack up more than 2000 hours of conversation each week.
“You can imagine the stories that they hear from the tip of Queensland all the way across to Perth and down to Hobart.
“One that jumps out to me is one from a shift at Brisbane a few months ago where I met a lady named Betty. She worked 30 hours a week as a cleaner and about six months ago she got word from her landlord that her rent was going up and she couldn’t afford it.
“Betty was forced to start sleeping in her car, so Orange Sky created this sense of normality for her once a week.
“Homelessness doesn’t discriminate. People come from all walks of life, and she was the manifestation of this. We were able to support Betty and connect her to different services and get her into some housing and it’s been an amazing journey to sit alongside her,” Lucus explained.
“Orange Sky is powered by the community. We don’t exist without volunteers, donors and people believing in what we do.
“That can look like a donation of a load of washing, a shift every week or just finding out more about homelessness to start that conversation at home, in the workplace or whatever that might look like. Conversation is at the core of what we do so we encourage everyone to be a part of that.”
| Orange Sky has 63 locations across NSW and 23 locations in North Queensland plus 51 in the south of Queensland. To find them and learn more about Orange Sky head to: https://orangesky.org.au/ |
