Orange Sky making friends for life

After his first experience with Orange Sky’s free laundry service, Jordan thought he would never again see the two 20-year-olds with a big idea.

The dream of providing a free mobile laundry service to those in need came crashing down for Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett when the washing machines they

had installed in a Volkswagen Transporter dubbed Sudsy wouldn’t work.

That scenario was repeated for two more days, but finally Sudsy’s washing and dryer setup worked, and Jordan was rewarded for his patience with clean clothes.

Having recently spent time in jail and being estranged from his family, Jordan was homeless and battling addiction and mental health problems.

Orange Sky delivers a community connection through a mobile laundry service.

With no questions asked, Lucas and Nic’s van offered him the chance to get his clothes washed, giving him a sense of much-needed dignity.

“Walking around the streets you are already paranoid enough about being homeless and then when you get clean clothes and a shave and a shower it makes you feel that much better,” Jordan told Nic and Lucas’s podcast The F Word.

“You sort of can smile; you don’t have to look at the ground and just keep walking.”

The concept of Orange Sky was formed after best friends Nic and Lucas volunteered for their school’s mobile food van that supported vulnerable people around Brisbane.

“Prior to that we did not realise that there were people in our own backyard that did not have access to things that we took for granted,” Nic said.

“Upon leaving high school we wanted to find a way to continue to help people. Through talking with different people, we discovered that something that had been overlooked was basic hygiene services.

“So, we had this crazy idea to put some washing machines in an old van and drive around and wash and dry clothes for free.”

How Lucas and Nic proved the doubters wrong

There were plenty who thought the idea wouldn’t work, including the Brisbane washing machine company that, despite doubts, gave Nic and Lucas washing machines on the condition they didn’t break them. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened on those first outings.

“We begged and pleaded for some more washing machines, took the van out on the third day and there was Jordan again,” Nic recalled.

“We put Jordan’s washing in the machine and the van worked perfectly.

“What we realised was that Orange Sky was something that had to work because Jordan believed in us.”

Jordan became Orange Sky’s first ‘friend’, the preferred term for people who use the service.

The realisation that they could easily find themselves in Jordan’s position was an inspiration for Orange Sky’s growth.

“It was a sliding doors moment where we thought, ‘hey this guy could be me in 10 years’ time’,” Lucas said.

“We had similar upbringings and were from similar backgrounds but were in totally different positions and that is something that stuck with both of us."

Nic added: “We realised that morning with Jordan that Orange Sky had very little to do with the hardware, it had everything to do with the opportunity for people to connect while the washing was on.”

An Orange Sky van in Maningrida, Northern Territory.

Orange Sky's growth across Australian and NZ

Over the past 11 years Orange Sky has grown from that one vehicle, Sudsy, operating in Brisbane to having a presence in more than 50 locations across Australia and New Zealand.

“We have 70 different assets that we use, predominantly vehicles, but we’ve also got semi-fixed laundry pods that are like mini shipping containers,” Lucas said.

“We do about 350 shifts a week and that is always alongside a partner which might be a food van, a health clinic, soup kitchen or community centre.”

Orange Sky is supported by about 3,500 volunteers, across all ages and walks of life.

“We’ve got retired mechanics that tinker on the vans and clean filters, we’ve got schoolkids that bake cupcakes and we’ve got friends like Jordan that trust us with their possessions,” Nic said.

“I think the beauty of Orange Sky is that it’s a group of people that all believe in this idea of human connection and having access to clean clothes.

“We are a vehicle, laundry hardware organisation but actually we are a community and I think that is something that is really important.”

Orange Sky can also be found in communities affected by natural disasters and has been extending its services into remote First Nations communities across northern Australia, where it aims to provide employment opportunities and improved health outcomes.

An Orange Sky pod in Mackay.

Demand increasing for laundry service

Demand for Orange Sky’s services has never been higher as cost-of-living pressures affect more people.

“We turned a lot of people away last year which was something that sat really heavily with Lucas and I, knowing there were a bunch of people out there that needed Orange Sky but we couldn’t help them,” Nic said.

“From a demographic perspective we are seeing people who are working multiple jobs but are living in their cars, we’re seeing people who have come to a town for employment or university and can’t afford rent and we are seeing people whose washing machine has broken because their house was flooded and they don’t have the money to buy a new washing machine.

“We’ve never been busier and I think that is a reflection of the community needing support.”

Nic and Lucas reconnected with Jordan last year, featuring his story in an episode of their podcast.

They said he was doing well and living in a Tweed Heads apartment and had reconnected with his family.

“How he reflects on (Orange Sky) is no one judges you, no one tells you what to do and people just say ‘how are you doing’ and check in,” Nic said.

“Orange Sky looks completely different to what it was 10 years ago but essentially it is the same thing done on a bigger scale.

“We have vehicles that provide washing machines and dryers and showers with amazing volunteers that run the service, we have amazing friends that trust us with their possessions, and we have this beautiful community of people that fund and make Orange Sky possible.”

How you can help Orange Sky

To learn about Orange Sky services near you or how you can volunteer, donate or support Queenslanders doing it tough, go to orangesky.org.au.