Providing Connection These Holidays

As we get close to the summer holidays, many people are wrapping up at work and looking forward to some well earned time off and connection with close friends and family.
At Orange Sky, our main aim at this time is to operate as consistently as possible so our friends know that the free laundry and showers and, even more importantly, a friendly yarn will be there. Nic and I both know that services can drop off over the holidays, and our friends can feel even more isolated and disconnected from the community than throughout the year.
When we first started Orange Sky, it was just Nic, myself and a few friends and family members supporting the operation. We didn’t really even think of it as ‘volunteering’ – it was just about getting out to do something we thought would help people doing it tough.
We now understand the power of volunteering and the dual role it plays in not only helping our friends on the street, but also the volunteers themselves. We have heard so many amazing stories from our volunteers that highlight the well-being, as well as sense of belonging, that volunteering provides them.

[vc_headings style="theme2" linewidth="500" borderwidth="1" borderclr="#000000" title="Key Statistics" titlesize="30" titleclr="#000000"][/vc_headings]

In 2010, 36.2% of people aged 18+ (6.1 million) had volunteered. 

In 2010, formal volunteering (excluding travel) was worth $25.4 billion to the Australian economy.

96% of volunteers say that it “makes people happier.”

Sustained volunteering is associated with better mental health.

Over the last few months, I have come to know one of our friends, Ros, really well. I have had many conversations with her about her life and how she came to use the Orange Sky service. She is an amazing women that has been regularly coming to Orange Sky shifts for over three years. She now provides support for fellow friends through a simple thing like a conversation. I think she really embodies our mission to Positively Connect Communities.
I would encourage you to listen to her story and please consider whether you may be able to support our friends like Ros these holidays.
Any support you can give would assist us in offering a reliable service that provides our friends with a place to feel welcome over the holidays.

Donate Now

I want to wish all of our supporters a safe and happy holiday period and an amazing new year ahead.
A special shout out to everyone that contributes to keeping our vans on the road – we are continually blown away by the passion of our volunteers and their willingness to give up time to support our friends. Also to our incredible donors, who believe in our mission and help keep our washers spinning and showers flowing. If you’d like to make a donation and support our friends these holidays, please click on the button below.
Thank you so much for your support.
– Lucas

Support our friends on the street this holiday period

Donate Now

Orange Sky Australia • 2020 • 17 Dover Street, Albion Queensland 4010 • (07) 3067 5800 • ABN/Charity ID: 85890622990 • We are a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) All donations over $2 are fully tax deductible as a Deductible Gift Recipient by the Australian Tax Office

Orange Sky acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the lands across Australia. We pay our respect to Ancestors and their descendants who hold a continued cultural and spiritual connection to the land, seas and community and would like to recognise and uphold First Nations knowledge and contributions of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We are committed to working together to create a positive future through our Reconciliation Action Plan.

by Baxter Butler

Joe's Story

Hey, my name is Joe and I’m the team leader for the Orange Sky free laundry service at Musgrave Park. I’ve been doing some type of volunteering with Orange Sky since 2015, so coming up to four years now. I love it.
I find that since I finished university and starting work full time, I can get a pretty narrow focus on work and life. Coming out on shift with our friends and having genuine conversations with people that have a different life experience helps me after a busy day to get a bit of perspective. I go home feeling a bit lighter, feeling like I can sort of check in with my life and my place in the world and it just puts me in a better mood I think. That’s what keeps me coming back. 
Before starting to volunteer with Orange Sky, I had a pretty stereotypical view of people experiencing homelessness. I would see the people on the side of the street begging for money or people who looked like they’re down on their luck, and that was the extent of my exposure to the issue. Coming out on an Orange Sky shift, you learn that everyone who comes to shift is very easy to chat to and there’s plenty of characters. Hearing their stories always highlights to me that most of our friends are really just one or two bad breaks removed from my own experience. They have made me see everyone, no matter how they appear at face value, as real people and part of the community just like anyone else. 

[vc_headings style="theme2" linewidth="500" borderwidth="1" borderclr="#000000" title="Key Statistics" titlesize="30" titleclr="#000000"][/vc_headings]

In 2010, 36.2% of people aged 18+ (6.1 million) had volunteered. 

In 2010, formal volunteering (excluding travel) was worth $25.4 billion to the Australian economy.

96% of volunteers say that it “makes people happier.”

Sustained volunteering is associated with better mental health.

I first met Ros at Musgrave Park on this shift. She was probably one of the first washes we did and has been a constant presence ever since. She’s a real connector on shift between volunteers and friends. She knows everyone, checks in with everyone and helps build this sense of connectivity and empathy for everyone. I think she’s someone who really brings everyone together and creates a big sense of that community. She knows everyone by name and has a specific little question for everyone to make them feel welcome. I think she really fosters that sense of community that we have going here now. She’s a big part of getting that going and a reason why people come back.
I don’t necessarily have any idea of what our friends have been through to get to this point, but I know that Christmas can be a difficult time. Personally, I really look forward to catching up with my family and people I haven’t seen in a while. It reminds you that you’re part of a bigger group of people who all care about each other and a lot of our friends on shifts don’t have those connections. They don’t always have people around them they can go and be with over the holiday period. I think that could make someone feel pretty lonely, and I’d like to think that the sense of community that friends like Ros help create goes some of the way to filling that void. Everyone can be there for each other and say g’day and catch up. We’ll try and operate right through the holidays so we can maintain those connections and be there for our friends.

Coming out around the Christmas period is always a highlight of my year. I came out last year and just felt like I was part of Orange Sky’s mission to be a consistent presence for our friends. It’s a good feeling to be able to come out with the team at a time like Christmas to show our friends we really are committed and it’s no skin off our back. I mean it’s a couple of hours a week or fortnight and I think it is much more powerful to be consistent and reliable then just come when you can. It’s good that Orange Sky works hard to operate right the way through and it really helps strengthen how genuine the community is.

I get a lot out of it for myself, to be honest. To come and spend time with our community down here was a great way to finish Christmas for me. I got a lot out of it to come and say Merry Christmas to everyone and put a smile on all their faces and it puts a smile on my face. I wouldn’t keep doing it if I didn’t get a lot out of it. I think something that the volunteers and supporters can take comfort in is that you’re getting out what you put in. If you come along and get involved, you really do create genuine connections and it’s no longer just an obligation to turn up to a shift. You want to go and catch up with friends like Ros and I think just knowing that you provide a bit to them makes you feel good for coming.

Support our friends on the street this holiday period

Donate Now

Orange Sky Australia • 2020 • 17 Dover Street, Albion Queensland 4010 • (07) 3067 5800 • ABN/Charity ID: 85890622990 • We are a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) All donations over $2 are fully tax deductible as a Deductible Gift Recipient by the Australian Tax Office

Orange Sky acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the lands across Australia. We pay our respect to Ancestors and their descendants who hold a continued cultural and spiritual connection to the land, seas and community and would like to recognise and uphold First Nations knowledge and contributions of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We are committed to working together to create a positive future through our Reconciliation Action Plan.

by Baxter Butler