Right now, our services are needed more than ever. The rising cost of living means homelessness and hardship are on the rise. As the need for our service grows, so do we. A donation from you helps us meet the increasing demand for support.
You could make all the difference to someone in your own community.
Since 2018, we have been offering a simple, yet powerful service – laundry, hot showers, and non-judgmental kōrero – to those doing it tough in our communities. We create a safe, judgment-free zone to ease the social isolation often faced by those doing it tough. Thanks to our 300+ committed volunteers and supporters, we operate five services in four different locations across Aotearoa, which is on average 97 shifts a month!. But it’s not just about providing clean laundry and warm showers; it’s about treating people with respect, understanding and kindness.
Meet Ryan.
Ryan is one friend who visits our shifts in Tamaki Makaura. He first came to shift a few years ago and knows the judgment people in his situation often experience for sleeping rough. But when he found Orange Sky, Ryan shared
“You just feel welcome and it’s a great environment to be in… I always want to help them, […], they deserve it, so they deserve more.”
“I use Orange Sky to get my washing done. It’s very expensive now to get your washing done, so the service is great, helpful. It gives me confidence and helps me to be a better me.”
As Ryan explained, feeling welcome makes a huge difference to those experiencing homelessness and hardship. From korero with friends, we know that while access to clean laundry and hot showers might bring someone to Orange Sky – it’s the connection through non-judgmental conversation that has a greater impact.
But times are tough right now, and it’s getting tougher. The 2018 census found that 41,600 New Zealanders were experiencing some form of homelessness. We think the results of the latest census will confirm what we already see firsthand: more and more families and everyday Kiwis needing support.
One of our Auckland volunteers, Elsie, reflected on what she sees out on shift.
“Coming out on shift, one of the main things that shocked me… was how similar our life stories are … We can all be just one step away from a different circumstance tomorrow. For a lot of them, I think it’s just that they were down on their luck a little bit, but they didn’t have the community around them… For a lot of us, it’s something we could easily face tomorrow.”
We have been working extra hard to grow our services across Aotearoa so that we can be there when the community needs us. Thanks to the continued generosity of our supporters and partners, our services will expand this year to meet the increasing demand.
This year, four new services will be welcomed as a response. Here’s what we’re doing;
• Te Whanganui-a-Tara | Wellington: On Monday 12th of February we expanded our Wellington service into Porirua , operating additional shifts every Monday in partnership with Porirua City Council and Te Rūnanga O Toa Rangatira.
• Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland: we’re launching a new Laundromat Service at Auckland City Mission in late February, bringing convenient laundry services to the heart of the city.
• Te Tonga o Tāmaki Makaurau | South Auckland: in March, we’re launching a new laundry pod to support the community.
• Te Matau-a-Māui | Hawkes Bay: Come July, we’re introducing our sixth. The newest member of the Orange Sky fleet will call Hawkes Bay home. This will be the first service on the East Coast and will meet the essential and growing needs of the Hawkes Bay community.
