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.
