On-Board with Nic and Lucas, Founders of Orange Sky Laundry!
Here at Go West we’re a proud supporter of Orange Sky Australia. Orange Sky Laundry is the world’s first free mobile laundry service for the homeless, operating 13 mobile laundry vans which service 121 locations Australia-wide. Today we catch up we Nic and Lucas, founders of Orange Sky Laundry to talk about how they got involved in this inspiring project!
Tell us a little about yourself?
We both met at High School in Brisbane, we were house captains together. At the time we both lived with our parents, we didn’t even do our own washing at that point!
Could you tell us a little more about Orange Sky Laundry? How did you get involved in the project?
We saw a need for a service like Orange Sky Laundry while we were working on a food truck, serving the homeless at school. We took an old van, installed two washing machines and dryers, and went to parks and drop-in centres around Brisbane to wash and dry the belongings of Brisbane’s homeless.
What inspired you to get involved in such an amazing cause?
Tonight, 105,000 people are homeless around Australia. We are the only people in the world providing free mobile laundry! 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.
What does a typical day of an Orange Sky Laundry volunteer look like?
Orange Sky Volunteers usually give 3-4 hours per fortnight. Some volunteers will meet where the van(s) is located and drive to shift together and other volunteers will meet at the shift location. It takes one or two minutes to put the laundry in the machine. After that there’s absolutely nothing to do except have a really great chat and that’s where our service makes the biggest impact.
Do you fit out the vans yourselves? How long does it take and what does it involve?
Yes, van fit-outs are completed and overseen at our office in Albion, Brisbane. It depends on the van build. Each van is kitted out with two commercial washers and dryers, laundry baskets, hoses, a generator and water tanks. Our original laundry vans are a lot faster now we have the experience of building over 15. Our newer and unique projects like our new Lockhart River truck and our Hybrid van take a little longer as we are starting fresh and learning as we go. The entire process for a laundry van is roughly 2-4 weeks
What has been your most memorable achievement along the journey?
Definitely winning Young Australians of the year in 2016, it was a great achievement for Orange Sky. Every day we achieve something new and memorable through our conversations and by positively connecting with our friends and community. We’ve been blown away — we’ve been given rocket fuel by Australia.
What`s the best way for people to donate Orange Sky Laundry?
Donations are best placed through our website – (http://www.orangeskylaundry.com.au/donate)
How can people get in touch if they would like to become a volunteer?
Heading to our website is the best way to learn about volunteering and to register as well – http://www.orangeskylaundry.com.au/get_involved
