Orange Sky Laundry has called for more volunteers as the service gains momentum on the Mid-North Coast.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The free mobile laundry service for the homeless has been operating on the Mid-North Coast for a month.
Orange Sky Laundry Port Macquarie assistant service manager Alison Neale said the service was going really well.
The van operates in Port Macquarie, Laurieton, Wauchope, Kempsey and Taree.
“We’ve had people in tears,” Mrs Neale said.
“They just can’t thank us enough.”
The fundraising efforts of Make a Difference made the Orange Sky Laundry van a reality on the Mid-North Coast.
“It has been an incredible journey,” Mrs Neale said.
She said the community support had been outstanding with $110,000 raised in nine months.
The Orange Sky Laundry van is here to stay.
Volunteers are an integral part of Orange Sky Laundry.
“The main role of the volunteers is to meet our friends and sit with them having a genuine conversation,” Mrs Neale said.
Orange Sky Laundry is a catalyst for conversation and connections.
There is the potential for expansion.
Orange Sky Laundry links other service providers.
“It just depends on what services are out there, and what volunteers we have, and coordinating the two,” Mrs Neale said.
Volunteers need to be able to give a minimum of two hours a week.
They undertake training called Orangetation followed by training during the first shift about the operation of the van.
Maggie Clarke is one of the Port Macquarie volunteers.
“It’s rewarding and it’s a way of connecting with the community and enabling those that may be isolated,” she said.
“You meet new people and talk to people from all walks of life.”
For more information or to register to volunteer go to the Orange Sky Laundry website.
Contact Orange Sky Laundry through its website or phone 07 3062 4811 for exact locations and times of the van’s operation.