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Restoring dignity and bringing hope: all in a day’s washing

Orange Sky Laundry is on a mission to connect the homeless with the community by providing a free mobile laundry service. I volunteered my services one Saturday morning in Kings Cross to see how it worked and what Orange Sky meant to the people who use it. By Gabrielle Kneipp

Orange Sky van
ORANGE SKY VAN (GABRIELLE KNIEPP)

Bloodstains mark the shirt that I’m putting into the washing machine. At first I thought it might be from a nosebleed and scenarios of sloppy fights on the street or worse, domestic violence rush through my head. I’m told later that Felicia, the woman whose shirt this is, sometimes injects herself and accidentally piercing veins in the process. I apply some stain remover and add it to the laundry cycle. This is not a place for judgment; it is a place for compassion and understanding.

Today I am washing clothes for the homeless with the Orange Sky Laundry team. Volunteers Charlotte, Sonya and Noa are on duty running the service with the bright orange van fondly known as ‘Tubsy’. We are at Wayside Chapel in Kings Cross and upon arrival the volunteers pick out familiar faces among new ones as they efficiently begin setting up for the morning.

Clamps and rope that have kept the washing machines in place are released and the appliance chirps for a cycle to be selected. A hose is fixed to a tap anchored on the street for the water supply and a smaller pipe runs out of the back for grey water to flow into the street drain. Orange fold out chairs are set up in the shade and we are all set.

As soon as people had caught sight of Tubsy rolling down the lane, tattered suitcases and plastic bags mysteriously appeared and clothes were carefully arranged. There is now a line of overflowing washing baskets trailing behind the van and post-it notes identify the owners.

Charlotte has been doing this for about six months now. She saw a segment on a morning news channel, filled out an expression of interest and that was that. “I liked the idea of doing something small for someone else, just to make their day a bit better.” She recognises how Orange Sky has brought the team together, despite having such different backgrounds. Charlotte is a research scientist, Sonya an accountant undertaking her Masters and Noa owns a laser clinic. But they are all here to try and make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate. “Sometimes we can get disillusioned and focus on unimportant things. At the end of the day, people want to help in any way they can with whatever time they can.”

Orange Sky Laundry is such a simple idea that has a big impact on someone’s life.

“While there were a lot of challenges that had to be overcome for it to actually happen, Orange Sky Laundry is such a simple idea that has a big impact on someone’s life.”

Sonia and Charlotte
VOLUNTEERS SONYA AND CHARLOTTE LOAD THE WASHING MACHINE (GABRIELLE KNIEPP)

Orange Sky Laundry is the innovation of Lucas Patchett and Nic Marchesi, two mates from Brisbane who decided that they could make a difference in the lives of homeless people. Like many of us, they grew up with the age-old adage ‘Treat others how you want to be treated’ and held it with great importance. They participated in mobile food vans during school, which opened their eyes to the homelessness issue and when they finished school wanted to do more. “Food vans have done exceptionally well all around Australia, so if there was something out there that would have a different kind of impact then we wanted to do it,” Patchett told me in our Skype chat.

Once they got a hold of the idea to wash clothes for the homeless out of a van, they were impatient and determined to get it underway. Yet it took a while for them to find the support to see it through.

Believing in the idea is one thing, believing in the people behind the idea is another.

“Lots of people said ‘no’ to us, that it was never going to work. Anything new and a bit different, people do get scared. For two 20 year-old blokes walking into your office and saying this is what we want to do, you get told that you are crazy.”

This seemed quite extraordinary to me. Two young men putting others before themselves with this ingenious idea and no one wanted to help? Lucas seemed more realistic about the negative reaction than I. “There was no precedent for a mobile laundry service and so no one knows what it would look like or how it would actually operate. All these questions people had made them hesitant to go through with it.” Another issue was not only whether the idea itself would work, but also whether Lucas and Nic would actually stick by it. “There was the question of how we would stay motivated. Believing in the idea is one thing, believing in the people behind the idea is the other.”

That was until they secured a meeting with Carolyn Kirk, Managing Director of Australia’s largest Laundromat services company Richard Jay. She had only one question, “Are people actually going to wash their clothes in a van?” This is exactly what Lucas and Nic intended and after 45 minutes of convincing her, they were downstairs picking out washing machines.

A cheerful trill from Tubsy announces that the first load of washing has finished and Charlotte and I go through the process of unloading and reloading. The next washing basket has an article of clothing in a tightly knotted plastic bag. Sean, whose clothes these are, has warned Charlotte and I that this item has a particularly noticeable odour to it, so we are best to just throw it straight in and lock and load. Taking him at his word, Charlotte rips open the plastic bag, deposits the article in question and quickly slams the door shut before starting the cycle. An inconspicuous hand sanitiser hangs on the inside of the van and we are mindful to wash our hands after each load goes in.

Orange Sky van
ORANGE SKY VAN (GABRIELLE KNIEPP)

While we wait I claim an orange seat next to Brad, a Canadian traveller whose military background is evident in the way he seems to be standing at attention all the time and the constant use of “ma’am”. He is easy to talk to and we laugh about his utter confusion of the Aussie slang.

The collection of tattoos on his arms and legs were recently added to when in Thailand studying Muy Thai kickboxing. He ran into some bad luck when his hostel room was robbed and all he had left were the contents in his pockets and a one-way flight to Australia.

With very little to his name, he is evidently relieved that he doesn’t have to strain resources and worry about how he will clean his clothes. “Kerbside laundry service,” he shakes his head in wonder at me. “This could change the way people see the homeless.” Feeling clean, he tells me, can make all the difference when you are living on the streets. “Having clean clothes is a huge part of feeling better about yourself. You can’t do anything comfortably in filthy, smelly clothes.”

This could change the way people see the homeless.

When he was told about the laundry service, Brad assumed that his clothes would be picked up, laundered in a facility somewhere else and later returned. He had no idea that it would be done right in front of his eyes.

I remembered Lucas telling me that in such a life where material possessions are limited, handing one’s clothes over takes a great amount of trust. “Sometimes all they have is the clothes on their back. Handing them over to us is a great privilege and we have to show that we realise that.” Seeing Brad’s relief at not losing sight of his clothes allowed me to better understand this.

Having travelled through the United States where homelessness is rife, Brad believes that the Orange Sky initiative would be a welcome sight. “I’ve been all over North America and never seen this idea that you can wash someone’s clothes right in front of them and give it right back.”

The idea is indeed a world first and Nic and Lucas’s efforts were recognised in this year’s Australia Day Honours for it, being jointly awarded Young Australians of the Year. Having this platform, Lucas says they will use it to further advocate the cause. “The scary, but also really exciting, thing is that we are the only people doing free mobile laundry for the homeless and we believe that it has worldwide potential. With the honour of being Young Australians of the Year we really want to use it as a platform to spread our message, spread Orange Sky Laundry all across Australia and call for more volunteers. Then we will see where it goes next.”

Orange Sky is all about helping homeless people connect with the community. The name of the service itself was inspired by Alexi Murdoch’s song Orange Sky, whose message is about helping your brothers and sisters. These values are central to the project and thus very fitting.

I stood beneath an orange sky
With my brother and my sister standing by
… In your love my salvation lies.

– Lyrics from Orange Sky by Alexi Murdoch

Brad’s laundry is finished and despite my insistence, prefers to fold his own clothes. In his absence I strike up a conversation with Sef who is reminiscent of a Texan motorcyclist; heavily clad in black leather, cowboy boots, a cap on top of shoulder length hair, aviators cover the top half of his face and a handlebar moustache the bottom half. He is slightly imposing but quiet and gently spoken. He seems indecisive about wanting to talk to me as he continuously moves to put white earbuds in to listen to music but then continues on with what he was saying. Much of what he says isn’t sane and he has many strange theories, but his keen gaze wants to confirm that I am listening and serious about what he is saying. At one stage he writes down something to make sure I look it up later.

Providing this conversation is just as important as washing clothes and it is where the founders sustain drive and passion for what they do. “The thing that motivates Nic and I is the people we meet. The conversations we have are going to make the biggest impact.” Lucas tells me of one of their friends in Brisbane, Grant. “As I passed Grant’s laundry back to him he said to us, ‘I haven’t spoken to anyone for three days’. Hearing that was quite humbling and reminded me of the importance of conversation.”

Brad, Sef and Sean
ORANGE SKY LAUNDRY’S FRIENDS ON THE STREET, BRAD, SEF AND SEAN, WAIT FOR THEIR LAUNDRY TO BE WASHED (GABRIELLE KNIEPP)

The value of listening is instilled in their volunteers too, as Charlotte also recognises the importance of being present, listening and talking to the homeless. “There is a big emphasis of having a chat with our friends and getting to know them. It’s a really nice part of the day for them.” She tells me it could be as simple as commenting on the weather or what they are doing for the next week. Sometimes they become familiar and begin to trust the volunteers, offering information that can be hard to grasp. “You hear some of the things our friends go through in their lives and how hard it is on them, it can have an emotional toll on you. So you can feel a little helpless at times, but Orange Sky has given the opportunity to make a difference even if it is small.”

Noah and Mark
ORANGE SKY VOLUNTEER, NOA, AND FRIEND ON THE STREET, MARK, HAVE A CHAT (GABRIELLE KNIEPP)

I notice that there is just one basket left but more people have arrived wanting to have their laundry washed. Unfortunately there isn’t enough time today, but Sonya sends them on their way with a schedule of where and when the van will be out during the week. “Mostly they are pretty happy with that,” she tells me.

Schedule
ORANGE SKY’S LAUNDRY SCHEDULE FOR SYDNEY (GABRIELLE KNIEPP)

When I arrived home I instinctively changed into a fresh pair of clothes. I didn’t even think twice about it and only now consider what a luxury it is to not worry about having clean clothes to change into. For Orange Sky Laundry, the service they offer is about being present and reliable to afford others the same luxury I take for granted. “We are going to do the best we can to not miss a shift rain, hail or shine and prove that we are everyday people just doing some washing and having a chat,” Lucas told me. For Orange Sky Laundry’s friends on the street, a fresh pair of clothes and some conversation restores dignity, gives hope and a sense of self. What does it mean to you?

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