An integral homeless support organisation has announced an exciting and innovative project, with its Sunshine Coast van being the first cab off the rank to level-up.
Orange Sky has been operating in the region for six years, supporting people who homeless and living rough with free laundry and connection services from Monday to Friday.
In a step toward a more sustainable future, the not-for-profit group has upgraded its entire laundry and hybrid laundry and shower van fleet across Australia.
The move will significantly reduce their environmental impact and maximise service reliability, with its Sunshine Coast service being the first to implement the changes.
SUBSCRIBE here now for our FREE news feed, direct to your inbox daily!
Two key features included in the project sees the removal of the diesel generators, which are being replaced with solar-powered equipment and battery banks, and the installation of the Orange Sky founded ‘Waru Dryer’ – the world’s first clothes dryer to use fuel-powered air heaters and solar-powered batteries.
The project is set to reduce electrical consumption by up to 90 per cent per shift, and is predicted to reduce greenhouse gases by up to 70 per cent, saving more than an estimated 161 tonnes of CO2-e over a one-year period.
A fleet of twenty-eight vans have been upgraded with eight key features designed to reduce environmental impact, simplify and reduce maintenance costs, enhance safety measures, and increase the vehicle usability to improve the overall shift experiences for friends and volunteers.
Orange Sky Sunshine Coast Service Leader Lesley Zammit said her team usually supports 50-60 friends each week with free laundry and connection services.
Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor with your name and suburb at Sunshine Coast News via: news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au
By hosting nine shifts per week, Ms Zammit said many of the friends they support are regulars and coming to Orange Sky is part of their weekly routine.
She said the vehicle upgrade project was exciting because Orange Sky was continually growing and evolving their services and innovating to make things better for others.
“We are seeing less vehicle breakdowns now that we don’t rely on a generator so we can now be even more reliable for locals who need us, and running off solar-power is fantastic,” she said.
She said most of the people they support say the best thing about coming to an Orange Sky shift is they feel welcome and comfortable, and they can just relax and have a nice chat.
“Leaving with fresh clean clothes gives them confidence and can make the world of difference, but the conversation and connection the volunteers provide is the really special part,” she said.
“As most volunteers go on shift each week, or fortnightly, they build some really strong relationships with the people who regularly use the service – they see them often, so it’s just like catching up with a friend.
Orange Sky Co-Founder Nic Marchesi said because of COVID, the rise in cost of living and the housing crisis, Australians are struggling more than ever.
“We are the busiest we have ever been – our volunteers are seeing more people experiencing homelessness and people struggling financially than we’ve ever seen in our eight years,” Mr Marchesi said.
“Making these changes to all our vehicles is not easy or cheap and we rely on community generosity to keep our vans on the road. Every little bit helps.”
Aussies wanting to support Orange Sky’s Vehicle Upgrade Project are encouraged to head to orangesky.org.au to donate.
SUBSCRIBE here now for our FREE news feed, direct to your inbox daily!
