How your donation makes a big difference
On any given night, 122,949 people in Australia are experiencing homelessness.
Homelessness is a complex issue, one that can impact anyone, and all it can take is financial hardship, a rental increase, the loss of employment, mental health struggles, or an unfortunate circumstance for the cycle to start.
It takes more than 3,000 volunteers to connect communities through regular laundry and shower services.
Each week, our passionate volunteers make over 350 laundry and shower shifts possible across cities, and regional and remote communities across Australia. They're regularly checking in and connecting with people who are doing it tough or in need of a friendly chat.
$24 is what it costs to provide a load of laundry and a warm shower for a friend doing it tough.
It costs just $24 to help lighten the load for someone experiencing homelessness or hardship. You can help make sure they have one less thing to worry about so they can focus on the things that matter most to them at this moment.
Michelle Hosking just donated $25.32- Ian and Heather just donated $211
- Anonymous just donated $60.61
- Anonymous just donated $52.75
- Janine and Paul just donated $60.61
- Maureen Howland just donated $25.32
- Anonymous just donated $158.25
- Anonymous just donated $61.19
- Joanna just donated $100
- Viviana Roberts just donated $420
- Sandy Lane just donated $84.40
- Alan just donated $25.32
- Martine Huguet Austin just donated $400
- Anonymous just donated $25.32
- Anonymous just donated $11
- Elizabeth Spielman just donated $100
- Fiona just donated $50.16
- Georgina Corcoran just donated $25.32
- Chrissi? just donated $25.32
- Dylan just donated $122.50
The most important thing about the service we offer is the conversation.
Being a volunteer on the frontline of Orange Sky for around 7 years, Mary-Anne sees the increasing need for practical help and connection every time she’s out on shift.
“Our shifts have become busier. We are seeing more people living in cars, we are noticing more women in cars and more families coming in for support. New friends are saying they can no longer provide for their families, using Orange Sky's services are a way for them to save money that they can now use for food, and having clean clothes is so important to feeling like they can cope.”
Whether someone is experiencing homelessness, going through a tough time in their life, or just needs a chat – volunteers like Mary-Anne are out in their local communities every day with practical support and a safe space to connect.
“Being able to connect with someone week on week and check in with them about their lives is really important. It shows our friends that we are in their corner, that they have someone who cares about them.
Sometimes we are the only people our friends can share their news with - whether it be good or bad news, we are there for them.”
With a donation today, you will be helping to make sure there are volunteers, like Mary-Anne, showing up with practical help every day in cities, towns and regional and remote communities across Australia.
Keen to join our awesome team of volunteers like Mary-Anne?
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#OrangeSkyAU
It probably doesn’t come as a surprise that there’s a growing need for support in communities across Australia.
Increasing financial pressures and a significant lack of housing are adding to emotional stresses and driving more Australians into hardship and homelessness.
People are being forced into making unthinkable choices between basic necessities like putting food on the table, finding a safe place to sleep or just washing their laundry.
With your support we're helping more friends than ever before. So far this year we've helped 16,000 friends doing it tough across Australia with:
50,000 loads of laundry
4,500 warm showers
more than 55,000 hours of conversation
Help make a difference
With your help, Orange Sky volunteers are able to be there for friends - day in, day out - to provide a space to access practical help in cities, towns and communities across Australia.
Michelle Hosking
Ian and Heather
Anonymous
Anonymous
This money came from Containers for Change money. Happy to finally donate to Orange Sky. .
What does Orange Sky do?
Our service is simple; we provide a platform for every day Australians to connect through a regular laundry and shower service. The focus is on creating a safe, positive and supportive environment for people who are too often ignored or who feel disconnected from the community. Our volunteers are not social workers or experts on homelessness – they are empathetic listeners and great conversationalists.
Join us on World Homeless Day, 10 October
What we've learnt from nine years of chatting with our friends out on shift is that homelessness can happen to anyone. For every person who sits on an orange chair, comes a new story of hardship that brought them to Orange Sky. However one thing remains the same for all who use our services; the need to feel connected, listened to, and part of a community.
Orange Sky supports people who are experiencing homelessness or hardship through access to free mobile laundry and shower services. Please donate anything you can today.
Lucas
Orange Sky Co-Founder & CEO
Thankyou for making a difference