Orange Sky Australia

Connection is at the heart of everything we do. Whether your a volunteer, supporter or friend, you play a vital role in creating a space where everyone feels seen, heard and valued 🧡

Recently, we sent another one of our remote laundry vehicles off on the road to it's new home! We are excited to share, our newest service launched last week in Wurrumiyanga. Wurrumiyanga, on Bathurst Island, is part of the Tiwi Islands and is located 80 kilometres north west of Darwin. In partnership with Murrup, our service is up and running, bringing free mobile laundry services to the Wurrumiyanga community! Not only will the laundry truck offer locals a safe space to do their washing for free, the partnership with Murrup will also provide employment opportunities for local community members to become part of the team and operate the laundry service. So why did we chose Wurrumiyanga? Many remote communities lack access to laundry facilities and this can affect skin health. Through research and collaboration, we identified the need for the service to support families facing overcrowded conditions and a lack of resources. The free laundry facility will provide a vital solution to help improve health and well-being, especially for children and those with compromised immune systems. Murrup CEO, Shellee Strickland, said Murrup was proud to partner with Orange Sky to bring this essential community service to Wurrumiyanga. “We know that chronic health issues, such as scabies, crusted scabies and impetigo causes distress in many remote First Nations communities and can lead to more serious health conditions, especially for people who have comorbidity and compromised immune systems,” Shellee said. "This impacts the whole community, but, in particular, can create additional barriers for children and young people to thrive at school and beyond." “Being able to wash clothes and bedding in hot water, using the free laundry facilities, will provide a solutions-based approach to these issues.” Community members in Wurrumiyanga can access the free Orange Sky laundry service Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 3pm. Locations to access the service will be available on our website (https://lnkd.in/gqkyUpBb).

🏃♀️ The agility of our organisation to just get up and go, is something I'm immensely proud of. Washing at one of the evacuation centres on the weekend was eye-opening experience. Not having power is one thing, but imagine having nowhere to shelter to feel safe - nowhere to keep your belongings dry. So proud of our team being out in communities, providing clean laundry, warm showers and somewhere safe to just sit and chat - wherever we are needed 🧡

During this challenging time, we’re proud to be working alongside incredible organisations like Micah Projects, ensuring that those doing it tough have access to the support they need. Where it’s safe, our teams are on the ground, continuing to provide essential services. To check which services are currently operating, head to our website. If you’re able to lend a hand, consider making a donation – https://bit.ly/3DxlzES

Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred has disrupted many in our community, and we are seeing first-hand the impact on our friends experiencing homelessness. We are proud to have teams responding in affected areas, where it's safe to do so. Keep up to date on our current services operating at https://lnkd.in/gfDgTcpj. If you're in a position to help, consider making a donation today - https://bit.ly/3DxlzES

This past International Women’s Day, we took time to reflect on the importance of ensuring every woman has access to safety, support and dignity. Right now, thousands of women across Australia are experiencing homelessness. Many face unique challenges, including access to safe spaces and essential services. At Orange Sky, we’re committed to breaking down barriers, which is why we’ve introduced Women’s Only shifts - a new service model designed to provide a safe, welcoming space for women to access free laundry, warm showers and genuine connection. Shift Leader, Janine, shares that on Women's Only shifts, there's a strong sense of familiarity and trust. With the same group of volunteers showing up each week, friendships form and a safe space is created. She explains that she can see it in the small moments - when a friend arrives and heads straight to someone they had a great chat with last week, picking up right where they left off. Honor, an Innovation Venture Coordinator at Orange Sky who is leading these services, shares why we are trialling this new service model: We know how important it is to be an inclusive service, but we understand that there is real value in creating a separate safe space where women having a tough time are welcomed. Our Friends tell us that helping them to regularly take the load off, relax for a short time and have easy chats with our volunteers while the basics of life get done makes a positive difference in their lives. By listening, learning and adapting, we hope to create more opportunities for women doing it tough to feel supported 🧡 📷 volunteers spotted at Bundaberg's Women's Only shift, rocking pink and white Orange Sky t-shirts!

As you are aware, Tropical Cyclone Alfred is likely to make landfall on the Queensland Coast later this week. Our top priority during this time is safety. Our team is meeting daily to make decisions on changes to our shifts in the impacted regions. For all updates regarding our shift status, please visit our website https://lnkd.in/gR3ap7pz For information about preparing for this weather event, please visit https://lnkd.in/gmtnFwys Please stay safe 🧡

Walk the Walk is officially underway 🙌 Good luck to all the incredible participants stepping up for Orange Sky this March! Every step you take is helping to support our friends doing it tough. Haven’t signed up yet? It’s not too late! Even small steps can have the biggest impact. Join the challenge today and walk in support of people experiencing homelessness. Sign up now: https://bit.ly/40uycZZ

Did you know Orange Sky runs shifts all across the country - including Adelaide? This month, we’re excited to add two new weekly shifts to our Adelaide schedule: 📍 Salvation Army TTG (Modbury) – Wednesdays, 1:00pm - 3:00pm 📍 Melbourne Street Laundromat (North Adelaide) – Thursdays, 9:30am - 11:30am A huge thank you to our incredible supporters and volunteers who help us positively connect communities across Australia. We couldn’t do it without you! 🧡

Last week, our Orange Sky team came together at our Brisbane HQ for a week filled with connection, planning and a whole lot of laughs as we set our sights on FY30. The theme of the week was "beyond words", because we all know that great conversation isn’t just about what’s said - it’s about what you see, sense and feel. From silent discos to pesto making, pretending to be pterodactyls (yes, really) and staring deeply into each other’s eyes, we embraced the theme in every way possible. There were plenty of moments that reminded us why connection is at the heart of everything we do. One of the best parts of the week was having so many of our remote team members join us in person. With Orange Sky spread across the country, these moments to connect face-to-face are so valuable, strengthening our team and the work we do. A huge congratulations to our Orange Sky people who took home well-deserved awards: 🏆 Collaborative Partnerships Award – Katie Lavidis & Kelly Hoskin 🏆 Strives to Improve – Anthony Parke 🏆 Energy & Drive – Loren Ayres 🏆 Passion & Focus – Emah Butler 🏆 Gives Things a Crack – Beth Cookson And of course, a special shoutout to the winner of our Pets of Orange Sky award - Olive Lavidis! 🐾 A week beyond words, but one we won’t forget 🧡