Orange Sky Laundry offers clean clothes and conversation for homeless in Canberra
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Young Australians of the Year Lucas Patchett and Nic Marchesi have been shocked to discover how many people sleep rough in Canberra.
"Tonight, 105,000 people are homeless around Australia," Mr Marchesi said.
"And in Canberra, it's the second highest rate per capita.
"Knowing that it was the nation's capital — it was confronting."
The two Brisbane-based co-founders of Orange Sky Laundry have launched Dasher — their first van in Canberra and their ninth service in the country — because the city, they said, had been "calling out for their service for months".
Practical help for those doing it tough
Since Orange Sky Laundry began in 2014, more than 105,000 kilograms of linen and clothes have been washed free of charge for the homeless and disadvantaged.
Each $100,000 van is kitted out with two commercial washers and dryers, laundry baskets, hoses, a generator and water tanks.
But Mr Marchesi said the most important equipment was the six orange chairs that are set up outside each van.
"They foster really positive and genuine conversations," he said.
"It takes one or two minutes to put the laundry in the machine and then there's absolutely nothing to do except have a really great chat and that's where our service makes the biggest impact."
The 570 volunteers who operate the vans around Australia — and the 80 signed up in Canberra — work hand in hand with other organisations which provide counsellors and other support.
"We never, ever will sit in a park and just wash and dry clothes," Mr Patchett said.
"We're always [working] in conjunction with wonderful service providers that have the respect and rapport of the communities that they service.
"We tap in alongside that respect and really build that service on a weekly schedule and roll out volunteers from there."
Sky's the limit for free laundry service
After a month spent scouting locations, eight sites for the new van have been chosen around Canberra and Queanbeyan.
In Brisbane, Orange Sky Laundry has begun employing homeless workers to wash laundry for a hospital.
The two co-founders hope to increase those employment opportunities and expand the service overseas.
"We've been blown away — we've been given rocket fuel by Australia," Mr Marchesi said.
"We've got Australia's attention and we're really excited to deliver our service all around Australia this year.
"We are the only people in the world providing free mobile laundry so we as Australians, as Brisbanites, can really be on the forefront of rolling out Orange Sky Laundry all across the world — and helping people every single minute of the day."
Topics: homelessness, charities-and-community-organisations, volunteers, human-interest, canberra-2600
