Do you know that feeling when you meet someone for the first time and you just instantly connect with them? The feeling where you just want to continue speaking with them and learning more about them? Well, that is the exact feeling I got when I met Orange Sky friend Cass out on shift a few months ago.
My name is Casey, and as part of my role in the marketing team here at Orange Sky, I have the pleasure of meeting incredible people – like Cass – out on shift and hearing their stories.
I met Cass on a Wednesday morning on the Sunshine Coast. When I first arrived to shift, Cass was speaking with Jan, one of the volunteers who she regularly chats with. Cass was showing Jan some of her artwork that she had created for The Salvation Army as a gift. Cass was holding a number of stones in her hand that she had delicately painted on that shared the beautiful words of ‘hope’, ‘faith’ and ‘love’. I could see the passion and happiness in Cass’s face as she talked about her artwork. As soon as I entered the conversation, a complete stranger, Cass embraced me with a kind, welcoming smile and began proudly showing me her artwork and explaining the finishing touches she was to make.
As Jan busily began doing loads of laundry and welcoming other friends onto shift, I sat down and chatted with Cass some more. I began to learn that Cass has lived in her van for more than two years. Two years without her children. Two years without her family surrounding her. Two years without a safe and stable place to call home.
As I sat and spoke with Cass, I learned that just recently before she had no option but to move out of her home and begin living in her van, Cass was diagnosed with tonsil cancer and underwent treatment. Cass was so brave to share her story with me, but the thing that astounded me most was Cass’ fun-loving, charismatic and optimistic personality. Although she has overcome many challenges, and still faces many challenges ahead, she was kind, thoughtful and keen for a cheerful conversation full of laughs.
Cass asked me about myself; she wanted to get to know me and couldn’t express her gratitude enough for how much the Orange Sky service and the incredible team of volunteers had supported her whilst she currently finds herself in a really tough situation.
Unfortunately, Cass’s story isn’t unlike many stories I have heard whilst working at Orange Sky. What I love about my job is meeting friends like Cass – seeing their determination and resilience is inspiring. Cass was a hard-working single mum – just like my own beautiful mother – but encountered a few turns of bad luck. As Cass shared with me, she has now found herself in a situation that she never thought she would be in – a story that’s more common than you think.
For Cass, one thing that gets her through and helps her in her dark days is art. Cass hopes to share her love and passion for art with her community. Cass has dreams of creating a mobile art studio from her van – her smile and energy whilst talking about her visions of her art studio was infectious. I just wish I knew how to draw anything other than some shocking stick figures and a weird looking dog! Who knows, maybe Cass can teach me a few things (if she has the patience)…
I connect with Cass regularly. Whenever I am on the Sunshine Coast, I stop by Cass’ shift to check-in and have a laugh. She brightens up the shift and is a joy to be around.
The 2021 Census tells us that 122,000 Australians are experiencing homelessness, but the reality is that so many more people are doing it tough and in need of support. People like Cass who have no other way of having their clothes cleaned, or people who feel isolated or disconnected from their community and come to Orange Sky simply for the connection and conversation provided by our volunteers. People like Cass aren’t a number or a homelessness statistic to us. They are our friends; we get to know them and learn more about them, and be there for them in a simple yet powerful way. I am grateful for my job and the people my role here has allowed me to meet and connect with. It reminds me to be grateful for what I have and to never judge someone based on their situation.
If you want to hear more about Cass’s story, you can watch this video, and if you want to check out some of Cass’s artwork, be sure to follow her on socials @nozones_mobile_art_studio
Find out how you can help positively connect some of the 122,494 Australians doing it tough.
