‘I work with some of the most vulnerable people in our community. Here’s what I want people to know.’

The festive season is a special time of year for many of us – the joy of gathering with loved ones, enjoying our favourite foods, or soaking up long, lazy days by the beach or on the couch. 

But it’s also an incredibly difficult time for more vulnerable members of society. With the soaring cost of living on top of a few tough years of the pandemic, more Australians will struggle to put food on the table this year. 

With inflation at its highest rate in over thirty years, one Australian charity, Orange Sky, is working to help #EaseTheLoad for people experiencing homelessness and hardship, not just this Christmas, but every day. 

Around one in every 200 people at the moment are experiencing homelessness. So, in 2014, best mates Nic and Lucas decided to do something about it by founding Orange Sky – a not-for-profit organisation offering free mobile laundry and shower services for some of the most vulnerable people in our community.

What began with a couple of washing machines in the back of an old van in Brisbane, has today expanded to a network of more than 52 laundry and shower services, and thousands of volunteers operating in all corners of the country, helping to positively support their community. 

“Orange Sky is of course about the washing, but it's also about connection, and non-judgmental conversations for people who might otherwise be completely disconnected,” Yvonne Gordon, an Orange Sky volunteer, tells Mamamia.

Yvonne is a retired school principal, who is now a team leader with Orange Sky. For her, the decision to volunteer with Orange Sky was an easy one.

"I was a principal at a low socio-economic school, so I always identified with those students," she explains.

"About four years ago, I decided I wanted to continue doing something for the community that involved talking to people, helping others. Then I saw an Orange Sky van in Cairns – where I live."

Before then, Yvonne had tried volunteering for other charity organisations, but found that Orange Sky was the perfect fit for her. 

"I was really impressed. The technology in the vans was wonderful, they had training, they were local, and really organised, which ticked a lot of boxes for me."

For her, though, she finds the most fulfilment in Orange Sky's mission: "We're trying to help less fortunate people and give them a bit of dignity."

Yvonne's days as a team leader are always busy.

"I leave home around 7am, go to the van to meet my fellow volunteers and drive to low socio-economic areas in Cairns where there is government housing, but that housing doesn't include any laundry facilities," she explains.

"We’ll unpack the van which involves some lovely orange chairs and all the water facilities – the vans are solar powered – so we unravel the hoses and set up the washing machines. We’re there for the next three and a half hours or so as each cycle of laundry takes 30 minutes and then another 30 minutes to dry." 

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But for the people in these communities, it's about more than just the laundry. It's about the connection and conversation.

"I think it means a lot to them," Yvonne tells Mamamia. "They like the fact that we're there regularly – they know they can trust us and have a chat about whatever they choose."

While these conversations differ in nature, they are always meaningful.

"We can recommend them onto other support services, but usually, it's just about being a sounding board, to hear about what's going on in their life. I think it gives some of them reason to get out of bed – to come and have their washing done, of course, but that’s sometimes secondary to the conversation."

Leading into Christmas, Yvonne recognises how important this service is to the community.

"There are huge concerns about money and making do with the little they have – it’s really tough times," she shares.

"One of the mums was telling me that she’s had to choose between washing and food at times, and one of her other friends recently had extended family suddenly land on her doorstep, but she didn't have extra money to feed them."

By doing their washing, Yvonne and the Orange Sky team were able to make a tangible difference in these women's day-to-day lives.

Image: Supplied.

"Plus, we could direct them to extra support, and organise some extra food and help," she adds.

While the rest of the community thinks about what presents they need to buy as we head closer to Christmas, there are a lot of Australians having to consider how they're going to put food on the table or if they're going to have a place to live.

"It makes me realise how lucky the rest of us are – how lucky and how privileged," Yvonne admits.

Thankfully, though, Orange Sky volunteers have been able to ease some of this burden.

"In 2022, Orange Sky volunteers washed twice the amount of laundry from the year before, providing around 70,000 loads of clean laundry across Australia," Yvonne shares.

"Generally, we complete 12 to 15 loads of washing per visit," she explains. "But what has become most important are the chairs, where volunteers sit down and have a chat to whoever comes along. We talk to them about whatever they want to talk about. It puts a smile on their faces, I hope."

During her time as a volunteer Yvonne has received as much in return as she believes our friends have. "It also grounds us," she shares.  

"It makes us appreciative of what we do have and makes us want to continue to do what we do. While we only help in a very small way, to these communities, it can be huge. It can be the difference between having dinner that night, and by us doing their washing because it means they don't have to take it to the laundromat and spend $10 or more there."

Yvonne encourages anyone who is thinking of volunteering to do so.  Or if people are unable to commit to volunteering, to donate to Orange Sky so they can continue to help people experiencing homlessness and hardship right across the country. 

"I want them to know how rewarding it is. How refreshing it is to have people who come along, and trust and appreciate your help. I think it's so important to get this connection of humans to humans. We're all the same, aren't we? 

"We're just helping them out, we're just giving them a little bit of dignity by giving them fresh clothes. We’re helping children out by making sure their uniforms are ready to wear so they can go to school," she adds. 

This Christmas, you can make a difference by donating to the Orange Sky Christmas Appeal to help some of the most vulnerable members of our community. 

Feature Image: Instagram @orangeskyau.