Friend Voice Survey FAQ
You might be wondering, what is the Friend Voice Project Survey?
We’ve put together some of the frequently asked questions for this survey. If you’re not able to find the answer to your question, please reach out to our team by emailing volunteer@orangesky.org.au.
FAQs
Orange Sky’s mission is to positively connect communities. By measuring the impact of our services and understanding you and your experiences, we are able to help more people.
This survey will help us to gather feedback on your experiences with Orange Sky services, what’s going well and uncover where there are opportunities for improvement.
It will also allow Orange Sky to gather more information for supporters of Orange Sky, whilst still pushing to innovate and support our communities.
No, all of the questions in the survey are optional and not required. You can fill in as much or as little as you would like. We want to know all about you and your experience, but if anything makes you feel uncomfortable in sharing, you can complete the survey with unanswered questions.
The survey is wholly administered by our impact measurement consultancy, Rooy, on a secure external website and the survey data will not be stored on any local computer. You can rest assured that your individual responses cannot be viewed in isolation and all data is deidentified. If you would like to know more, please email us at volunteer@orangesky.org.au.
Anyone who uses Orange Sky’s services are encouraged to participate!
You can complete the survey by clicking here.
You may see the survey pop up in other places like on Orange Sky shifts, in our service provider partners and on this website!
The main things we are asking are what services do you use, how are you getting to shift, how often do you use our services, and other useful information that can help us learn more about you!
Orange Sky will be tracking and measuring progress with the goal to translate the survey data into tangible actions to further help people doing it tough.
Meet Orange Sky’s newest Board Member, Keiron Lander
Orange Sky is excited to welcome Keiron Lander as the newest Non Executive Director. Keiron brings to the board table his expertise in preventative health and youth advocacy, with a focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ outcomes.
A proud Dieri and Mithaka man from South West Queensland (Quilpie), Keiron is passionate about leaving a legacy of progress in his footsteps.
We sat down with Keiron to learn more about his background, values, and what drove him to be a board member for Orange Sky Australia. Yarning under the fig trees in Brisbane (Meanjin), Keiron’s passion for community, deep thinking and knack for storytelling became clear.
“How do you think people learn anything important?” Keiron asked.
“Storytelling,” he said.
Orange Sky is grateful to share an aspect of Keiron’s story and benefit from his voice in supporting Australians experiencing homelessness.
Background
Career highlights:
- Deadly Choices – State Operations Manager | 2010 – 2022
- Rugby League – Coach Ipswich Jets | 2016 – 2021
- Young Guns Container Crew – Head of Indigenous Impact | 2022 – present
Keiron’s professional history represents an exceptionally hands-on approach to supporting his community. Keiron was instrumental in the early development of one of Australia’s most successful preventative health programs, Deadly Choices. As the State Operations Manager for over a decade, Keiron and his team played a role in growing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples health checks by 762% (since 2010, source: Deadly Choices).
Keiron’s work at Deadly Choices was alongside a successful decade in professional Rugby League, as a player and coach. In both roles, he honed his leadership craft, ultimately learning his passion for improving youth engagement. Since April 2022, Keiron has channelled this passion at Young Guns Container Crew, leading their Indigenous impact strategy aimed at getting young people into the labour market.
Values
Keiron’s character and drive were shaped by a childhood of strong family ties and sport. Growing up in and around Mithaka Country, Keiron’s connection to Country and sporting success developed his commitment to teamwork, reciprocity, and camaraderie. Whether it is his teammates on the field, disengaged youth or people sleeping rough, Keiron won’t rest if people are left behind.
“I grew up working hard for my rugby teams, workplace and my community. I don’t do things in halves,” Keiron said.
Values
Keiron’s character and drive were shaped by a childhood of strong family ties and sport. Growing up in and around Mithaka Country, Keiron’s connection to Country and sporting success developed his commitment to teamwork, reciprocity, and camaraderie. Whether it is his teammates on the field, disengaged youth or people sleeping rough, Keiron won’t rest if people are left behind.
“I grew up working hard for my rugby teams, workplace and my community. I don’t do things in halves,” Keiron said.
Orange Sky Board
Despite already undertaking significant professional, family and community roles, Keiron says that a strong value alignment drew him to Orange Sky. Orange Sky’s focus on community-led engagement and improving safe and inclusive spaces, is of key interest to Keiron.
With Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples over-represented in the homeless population, we acknowledge the considerable work yet to be done. Keiron is passionate about Orange Sky growing our social impact with and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Not only in remote settings, but in all locations in which we operate, and, most importantly, enriched within our policies and culture. See Orange Sky’s Reconciliation Action Plan – click here.
The decision to apply for and accept the Orange Sky Board role was not taken lightly. Keiron shared the importance that his community played as he considered the opportunity.
“I discussed the opportunity at great length with my old people. They walked with me on the journey and reassured me that this was a good path,” Keiron said.
Among his interest in governance and training, Keiron made his eagerness to visit Orange Sky shifts clear. He hopes to don an orange shirt and connect with our friends and volunteers.
“We learn through stories. So, for me to learn the real stories of Orange Sky, I need to speak to the people we serve,” Keiron said.
What’s next for Keiron and Orange Sky?
Keiron was appointed as a Board Member at the 2022 Orange Sky Annual General Meeting in November 2022. Keiron joins a committed Board including Andrew Fraser, Paula Holden, Lucas Patchett, Nicholas Marchesi, Nick Miller, Sommer Davies and Lachlan Mitchell.
The Orange Sky family welcomes Keiron as part of the Board, helping us to positively connect more communities. In his role on the Board, he will directly contribute to our strategic goal of providing fit-for-purpose governance to deliver our mission.
Want to know more about our Orange Sky Board members?
Washing, Yarning and Positively Connecting Communities in 2022
2022 saw eight years of washing, yarning and positively connecting communities here at Orange Sky, such an exciting milestone! But 2022 was also a stark reminder that our services are needed now more than ever.
The last year for Orange Sky has been one in which the true character of the organisation has been tested. We have adapted, innovated, responded and done what we do best: help our friends in the community. March 2022 became our biggest month on record for impact and total number of people helped. We launched multiple new services, five of which are in remote communities. Our innovation team led multiple successful ventures, launching the Waru Dryer, RV3.0 and Laundromat of the Future.
But first and foremost, this impact would not have been possible without you, our community of supporters, who each play an important part in the ecosystem that is Orange Sky. So to wrap up the year, here are three key moments from three key sections of our community…..
Community Recovery
The devastating impacts of the March 2022 floods had been felt far and wide right across Qld and NSW communities, including Albion – home of Orange Sky HQ! Orange Sky worked hard to positively connect communities, supporting people with access to free mobile laundry, warm showers and genuine conversations right across Brisbane, Ipswich, Gympie and the Northern Rivers when life suddenly turned upside down.
The unprecedented floods in Northern NSW left Jocelyn and her family from Mullumbimby devastated, losing around 80% of their belongings; a lot of which were clothes. Jocelyn told us the unlaundered pieces were too overwhelming to deal with, and the only option was to say goodbye to these belongings or get some help. Orange Sky heard Jocelyn’s story and offered our services, transforming over 15 large containers and bags of flooded garments covered in mud and sewage into clean, good-as-new clothing.
“Jocelyn is an absolute superstar, such a beautiful person that I wish I met under better circumstances. We were so happy to relieve her of some of her tasks after the flooding, but more importantly give her a safe space to talk about her and her family’s experience over the past few weeks and be there for her when she needed it.” – Emma Duce, Orange Sky.
Biggest Month of Impact
March 2022 saw our BIGGEST month of impact to date, with Orange Sky completing over 10,000 washes for CRS and positively connecting 22,400 people during the financial year. This is all thanks to our staff and volunteers who poured endless amounts of passion, energy and time into supporting our community with free laundry, warm showers and genuine conversation. On top of our regular weekly shifts, Orange Sky has been committed to helping those impacted by flooding across Queensland and New South Wales.
Bernie from the Australian Red Cross has seen first hand the impact our services are providing to communities in the most vulnerable of situations.
“It’s been a great help having Orange Sky here. People get two major elements of support. They can feel a sense of comfort from having clean and dry clothes. Plus they get some fresh air outside the evacuation centre and have a chat with the Orange Sky team. It’s made a difference.” – Bernie, Orange Sky service provider.
Remote, Sustainability and Inclusivity
We launched new services – including four in remote communities (Aurukun, Yungngora, Yakanarra, Galiwin’ku) – and led a number of successful ventures, including vehicle upgrades that will allow our fleet to be more reliable, user-friendly and better for the environment. As an organisation, we are committed to being an ethical, sustainable and inclusive charity leader, and we’re proud to have a Reconciliation Action Plan.
Vivienne and her family are some of the friendly faces that visit our remote service in Maningrida, NT – run by Mala’la Health Services. In a region where laundry access is challenging, Vivienne shared how helpful it is to have her winter blankets washed and dried so her family can stay warm each night.
“Always so good to have Orange Sky come and wash the big blankets. They take maybe two days to dry but Orange Sky can do it quickly. They are very busy so it’s nice to have them come and wash for me and my sisters and my mum,” – Vivienne, Orange Sky Friend.📍Kunibídji Country.
Conversations happen every day of the year on our six orange chairs, and we want to make sure we can continue that over the holidays. Whether that be an opportunity for a friend who might be doing it tough to have a conversation, a volunteer who is potentially lonely or isolated being able to connect with a friend; or a load of laundry washed, every connection on our six orange chairs helps ease the load. We need to fund more than 1,600 shifts to support our friends over the Holiday period. With a gift of $288, you can provide an entire shift to help our community doing it tough get through the holiday season.
Orange Sky thanks you for your continued support, and we look forward to sharing more conversations and connecting more Australian than ever before in 2023.
Rising cost of living impacting homelessness across the country
For people doing it tough or families struggling to make ends meet, the current economic climate is making it harder to get by.
The release of Australia’s budget in October has predicted a decline in living standards over the next 12 months. Many Australian households are already feeling the impacts of rising costs of living, along with inflation at its highest rate since 1990 rising 7.3% in the past 12 months.
Research conducted by Orange Sky this year in partnership with YouGov, revealed that many Australians are currently facing financial hardship, with six in ten (59%) saying they struggle to make ends meet at least once a year and one in five (22%) who struggle each week.
The impacts of these economic changes are felt hardest among vulnerable people and families in our community living on the poverty line, resulting in one in five (21%) Aussies having experienced homelessness, slightly up from 2021’s study which revealed 20% had experienced homelessness.
Additionally, the report also shed light on the impact of recent increases in the cost of living:
· Almost one in three (28%) feared losing their home due to financial struggles and one in four (25%) had to take on a secondary income to make ends meet.
· Of those who had previously experienced homelessness, six in 10 (59%) feared losing their home due to financial struggles and more than half (51%) took on a secondary income to get by.
· One in 10 (10%) say they struggled to make ends meet every day.
· Six in 10 (59%) experienced increased nervousness about their financial security in the past year.
· Almost half (49%) had to change their living circumstances due to rising costs.
Orange Sky Co-founder Nic Marchesi (OAM) said since 2014, Orange Sky has helped support the most vulnerable members of our community through the simple act of clean laundry, warm showers and most importantly genuine conversation when life takes an unexpected turn.
“Unfortunately, 2022 is already proving to be the toughest year many of us have faced,” he said.
“In the first six months of this year alone, we’ve seen everyday costs skyrocket, coupled with the ongoing pandemic and natural disasters like flooding across Queensland and New South Wales, it has created the perfect storm for homelessness and forced more Aussies to live paycheck-to-paycheck, making the support provided by Orange Sky more important than ever.
“When people experiencing homelessness stop by one of our vans, we wash their clothes and offer them a warm shower and it makes them feel better but they tell us that it’s the conversations our volunteers have with them they love the most.”
Orange Sky remains committed to supporting the increasing demand in our services for Australians experiencing hardship and homelessness. Each week, our legendary volunteers operate over 300 shifts around Australia, providing free access to laundry, warm showers and genuine conversations on orange chairs across Australia, allowing us to see the people and stories behind statistics.
It’s never been more important than now to provide support and help ease the load for those doing it tough.
Yvonne reflects on why volunteering is more important than ever before
December 5th marks a very special day in the Orange Sky calendar – it’s International Volunteer Day. It’s an opportunity to celebrate our remarkable team of volunteers and the work they do each day to positively connect communities across Australia and New Zealand through washing, showers and most importantly, genuine, non-judgmental conversations.
Each week, teams of volunteers gather in communities across Australia to provide a safe, welcoming and reliable space for our friends doing it tough. In these times of financial uncertainty, our remarkable volunteers are needed now more than ever before. One such Volunteer is Yvonne, who reflects first hand on this need, and explains how important it is to ease the load for our friends doing it tough.
Delassa (Gemai’s Mum) and Yvonne (Orange Sky Volunteer)
“My name’s Yvonne and I’m a Team Leader at Orange Sky. We are a really busy shift with about five people who are volunteers that assist with the laundry on a Monday. None of the little houses have any laundry facilities at all so we are a really highly desirable service for the area. I have an appreciation of the situations some of our friends find themselves in, where they don’t even have six dollars to go over to the laundromat to wash their clothes. The $6 that they saved by doing their laundry with us at Orange Sky meant that they ate lunch that day.”
Gemai is one of those women, who as Yvonne explains, lives right next to where they park the van.
“Gemai has a number of children, two of whom are autistic which places a lot of extra demands on her time and money. Gemai knows we’re here, she accesses us on a weekly basis and she’s the most pleasant, polite, engaging lady that you could get. Her Mum [Delassa] also lives in the complex too, she’s just a delightful lady, we really enjoy engaging with her and providing a service for her.
We’re making their lives a little bit easier by doing what I think is a fairly small thing, but to them is something really huge. I don’t think we should underestimate that, I think it’s a great thing that we do to help them”.
With the rising costs of living affecting so many communities across Australia, it’s more important than ever for volunteers like Yvonne to be there to help #EaseTheLoad.
A YEAR IN REVIEW: 2022
At the close of 2022 year, we can reflect on the enormous challenge of the past 12 months.
From COVID-19 through to the floods in South East QLD and NSW Northern Rivers, Orange Sky worked hard to positively connect communities, supporting people with access to free mobile laundry, warm showers and genuine conversations.
This year Orange Sky saw growth in services, innovation and impact.
We launched new services - including four in remote communities (Aurukun, Yungngora, Yakanarra, Galwinku) - and led a number of successful ventures, including vehicle upgrades that will allow our fleet to be more reliable, user-friendly and better for the environment. As an organisation, we are committed to being an ethical, sustainable and inclusive charity leader, and we’re proud to have a Reconciliation Action Plan.
We want to say a massive thank you to our partners, donors, volunteers and friends who have stayed with us, trusted us and supported us throughout the year.
Orange Sky cannot have an impact without you!
Hear from our community
Lean more about Orange Sky's Reconciliation Action Plan
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 land 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 Indigenous knowledges 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.
Friend Resource Page
What is a friend?
If you are someone who is using our service, you are known as a friend.
How does Orange Sky help friends?
We help friends by providing access to clean laundry, warm showers and genuine conversations. Our mission is to positively connect communities.
Standards of Behaviour
Our Orange Sky Standards of Behaviour for your time on shift are simple and easy to follow. Take a closer look at our graphic below.
FAQs
We operate shifts every day across Australia and New Zealand. The best way to find your nearest shift is to visit locations.orangesky.org.au
Parking for each shift location differs, so visit locations.orangesky.org.au to find your nearest parking spot. If this is a concern for you, please call our team on (07) 3067 5800 who will be able to find out for you.
Nothing! Zilch! Zero! Our shifts are free to use for both laundry and showers.
You will be given a basket to place your clothes into (remember to empty your pockets), then you will load your items into the washing machine.
While your clothes are being washed, feel free to sit on one of our six orange chairs and have a yarn with one of our volunteers.
Next stop for your clothes is the dryer, where they’ll remain for around 30 – 40 minutes. Sit back, relax, and connect through genuine conversations. That’s it – too easy!
Not all of our shifts have showers, but if you’re on the hunt for a warm shower, visit locations.orangesky.org.au, and when you click on a shift location it will show you what services are available.
Let one of our volunteers know you would like to have a shower. They will take your name, and let you know where you are in the queue. If you would like your want washing done as well, please also let them know that, so you do not miss out!
When it is your turn, you will be shown around to the shower, given a clean robe, towel and bath mat.
A volunteer will run through some quick dos and don’ts, and make sure you are comfortable. We also supply shampoo, conditioner and body wash for you, so there is no need to bring your own.
Each person has 15 minutes in the cubicle, the shower volunteers will usually knock on the door when you have 5 minutes left in there. You can continue to wear the robe after your shower if you are getting clothes washed as well. We just need it back at the end of the shift.
No booking is required to use our services! Some of our shifts can get busy, so we recommend arriving when the shift starts so you secure your spot in the queue (if there is one!).
Anyone that needs to, can use Orange Sky’s services. We are non-judgemental and won’t ask you questions about your situation if you do not want to share.
Oh no! It is best to call Orange Sky HQ with any lost laundry enquiries. We can be contacted on (07) 3067 5800 or you can make an enquiry on our Contact Us Page.
We wash all clothing items, blankets, towels and bedding.
Unfortunately, we cannot wash heavily soiled items or footwear, as they may damage our machines.
Please note that washing is at your own risk.
Some larger items (thick blankets, bigger pillows) may not be able to be dried properly, depending on size. Our volunteers can assist with this on shift.
Liquid detergent is automatically dosed into the machines every time a washing cycle starts, so there is no need to bring your own.
Orange Sky laundromats are located in a few select locations, and for the majority of the day are a paid laundry service.
We offer certain shift times, where your items can be washed for free. Learn more about our Orange Sky laundromats here, or check out locations.orangesky.org.au for up to date information on shift times.
We recommend using Ask Izzy. Ask Izzy is a website that connects people in crisis with the services they need right now, and nearby. This includes things like food, shelter, legal help, and much more. https://askizzy.org.au/
Orange Sky is growing its impact every single day, and we aim to go where we are needed most! If you think that there is a need for our services in your area, please make an enquiry on our Contact Us Page.
Orange Sky partners with OMO to ‘lighten the load’ for families
In Australia, one in six children live below the poverty line and with the rising cost of living, it’s likely the number of families struggling to make ends meet will only continue to grow.
As a result of this staggering statistic, families who are struggling to pay for essentials such as rent and food, school items like clean uniforms and sports clothes are luxuries that are often neglected from the priorities list. Sadly, this has a significant impact on a child’s ability to attend school with confidence and gain a solid education.
To lighten the load for families in need, Orange Sky is excited to be partnering with OMO to deliver ‘The Confidence Cycle’; an initiative that will support our mobile laundry and shower services in key school catchment areas across QLD and NSW.
This exciting partnership will ensure Aussie school kids can take on the school week with fresh, clean uniforms, washed and dried for free at an Orange Sky shift.
Orange Sky volunteer Lyndal Lowth from Cairns says “I have been volunteering with Orange Sky for three years and have connected with a number of young families. I have often chatted to children on shift and they have told me that they weren’t able to go to school that day because they didn’t have any clean clothes.”
“Some of these families have shared that they see education as a priority for their kids – we’ve seen parents waiting at our shift locations from 4:30am to be first in line for our 8am shift so their children’s school uniforms can be washed and dried ready for a school day.”
Lorna Ash, General Manager, Homecare Australia and New Zealand at Unilever said that OMO was proud to be partnering with Orange Sky on this significant partnership.
“With the cost of living continuing to rise, many Aussie families are doing it tough at the moment. Our aim in partnering with Orange Sky is to lighten the load for these families in a small but important way, ensuring that Aussie kids have access to clean uniforms and the confidence they bring.,” said Ms Ash.
Orange Sky Co-Founder and CEO, Lucas Patchett added that clean clothes and showers can make a massive difference to someone’s day, but what makes Orange Sky’s services so impactful is the hours of genuine, non-judgemental conversation and connection that take place between their volunteers and the friends accessing their services each and every day.
“Since launching Orange Sky, I’ve seen people in some really tough situations, including young families whose kids weren’t in school due to not having clean uniforms,” Lucas said.
“Not only does Orange Sky provide an essential service, but it also offers a safe, welcoming, and non-judgemental place and thanks to our friends at OMO, we’re going to be able to continue to grow our services and reach more people in need.”
Our mission is to create a safe, positive and supportive environment for people experiencing homelessness who are often ignored or feel disconnected from the community. Currently Orange Sky operates 52 services – which is made up of predominantly laundry and shower vans, and a mix of semi-mobile and permanent sites – in 32 locations across Australia, and 4 services in 3 locations in New Zealand, offering endless hours of conversation facilitated by a team of passionate volunteers.
OMO is proudly supporting Orange Sky’s services in three locations across Australia; Newcastle, Beenleigh and Cairns. Shifts within these areas that are specifically operating within school catchment regions include:
- Newcastle, NSW – Catholic Care Hamilton South, 29 Fowler Street, Hamilton South, New South Wales, 2303
- Beenleigh, QLD – Hugh Muntz Park, Reisers Road, Beenleigh, QLD, 4207
- Cairns, QLD – Cairns Villa and Leisure Park, 28 Pease St, Manoora, Queensland, 4870
Thank you to OMO for allowing Orange Sky to positively connect more communities and providing a boost of confidence to kids across Australia!
Orange Sky Innovations Recognised for Design Excellence
Orange Sky’s RV3.0 Vehicle and Waru Dryer recently received an Australian Good Design Award Winner Accolade in the Social Impact category for outstanding design and innovation.
Orange Sky’s Co-Founder and Chief Delta Officer, Nicholas Marchesi (pictured, right) and Designer, Magnus Murray-Douglas (left) accepted the award at the 2022 Australian Good Design Awards last month.
The Australian Good Design Awards is the country’s most prestigious award recognising design and innovation. The Awards celebrate the best new products and services on the international market. Projects recognised with an Australian Good Design Award demonstrate excellence in professional design and highlight the impact a design-led approach has on business success and social and environmental outcomes.
Orange Sky was recognised with two Design Excellence Awards for the Waru Dryer and RV3.0 Vehicle. Both innovations were developed by Orange Sky’s own Team Delta – a department focused on ‘Imagination and Innovation’. The department name of Delta is linked to the Greek triangle and symbolises change and growth.
Waru Dryer – Good Design Excellence Award
The idea for harnessing the sun’s power to develop a solar-powered dryer was born in while Nic was under the scorching Anangu Central Desert sun. The Waru Dryer provides more efficient ways to support our friends doing it tough, whilst being kinder to our planet. Learn more about the Waru Dryer here.
The Good Design Awards jury commented: “The Waru Dryer is an innovative solution to support people doing it tough whilst being kinder to our planet. The product design incorporates innovative technical solutions to reduce energy consumption and increase operational efficiencies. This design is coupled with the moving artwork which honours the ideas and traditions of Indigenous culture and seeks to positively connect local communities.”
RV3.0 Vehicle – Good Design Excellence Award
The Orange Sky RV3.0 is the world’s first solar and battery-powered laundry truck supporting health and social outcomes for remote Australians. Fitted with three washing machines and dryers, the RV3.0 provides free mobile laundry to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities. Learn more about the RV3.0 Vehicle here.
The Good Design Awards jury commented: “An innovative address of the challenges and requirements of a vehicle under extreme conditions. The social challenges experienced in rural and remote regions are impressively articulated and integrated into the business model. Exceptional post-disaster opportunities are a highlight.”
CEO of Good Design Australia and Chair of the Australian Good Design Awards, Dr. Brandon Gien said: “To be recognised with an Australian Good Design Award is a significant achievement, given the incredibly high standard of projects submitted in this year’s Awards. The Good Design Award is a valuable independent endorsement of professional design quality.”
“We know that good design, when used effectively, can improve our quality of life and make the world around us better, safer, more efficient and more beautiful.”
Thanks to our amazing team of staff and supporters who made the Waru Dryer and RV3.0 possible. To learn more about how Orange Sky is using innovation to improve how we operate, click here.