What’s happening?
Orange Sky has completed major improvements to its free laundry service on Sydney Street in South Mackay.
The work included a new outdoor patio beside the laundry pod, with sheltered seating for people using the service. Orange Sky officially opened the upgraded space on Wednesday, 22 July, with local volunteers and community supporters attending.
The not-for-profit organisation provides free laundry facilities and a safe meeting place for people experiencing homelessness or financial hardship.
Why it matters
The new patio gives visitors somewhere clean, dry and comfortable to sit while their washing is completed. People can also receive meals from Orange Sky’s service partners and speak with volunteers without judgement.
The improvements come as rising living costs place more pressure on regional households. Orange Sky volunteers are now meeting people who never thought they would need free laundry or community support.
Local Impact
Orange Sky Co-Founder Nic Marchesi said the new space would strengthen the support available to Mackay residents.
“These upgrades are going to make a massive difference for the Mackay community,” Marchesi said. “Our pod features three washers and three dryers, but Orange Sky has always been about more than just clean clothes. While the washers spin, our volunteers create a welcoming space for community members to sit and connect.”
Marchesi said the patio would keep visitors sheltered while they accessed laundry facilities, meals and conversation.
“This new sheltered space means locals doing it tough now have a safe, comfortable spot to stay dry, enjoy a meal from one of our incredible service partners, and most importantly, sit down for a warm, non-judgemental chat while their washing gets done.”
By the numbers
- The service improvements were supported by $40,000 from Mackay Regional Council and the Mackay Community Foundation.
- Orange Sky volunteers have completed 13,561 washes during the organisation’s nine years in Mackay.
- Volunteers have also provided 24,632 hours of connection and conversation, while wash numbers have risen by 24 per cent since last year.
Zoom In
Marchesi said volunteers, councils, businesses, donors and service partners had helped make the Mackay service a trusted source of support.
“Over the past nine years, the generosity and hands-on spirit of the Mackay community has been incredible,” he said. “From the amazing volunteers who turn up shift after shift, to the local councils and foundations funding vital infrastructure, to our local service partners who support people in the community doing it tough with additional services like a hot meal.”
He said cooperation across the community had also helped volunteers build lasting trust with people using the service.
“Not only does the collaboration between volunteers, partner organisations and councils make Orange Sky what it is today, the trust and friendship built with our friends who utilise the service really is something special.”
Marchesi said volunteers brought genuine care to every shift and made the service welcoming for people facing hardship.
“What always stands out from our awesome volunteers is the genuine, non-judgemental warmth they bring to shift and those doing it tough,” he said. “We’re so grateful to our dedicated volunteers, local service partners, businesses and donors who have turned up consistently week after week for a decade. Their ongoing commitment ensures our orange chairs remain a reliable, safe and welcoming place to land for anyone doing it tough in Mackay.”
Zoom Out
Orange Sky is recording greater demand as housing and other living costs continue to place pressure on regional communities.
“Orange Sky is busier than ever and, in regional areas, we know that cost-of-living pressures are causing more people to turn to services like ours,” Marchesi said.
He said homelessness could affect people after a missed rent payment, a rental increase, job loss or another difficult change.
“We’re meeting people who never imagined they’d need support from Orange Sky,” he said. “Homelessness has many facets. It’s not just those who are sleeping rough. We’re also supporting folks living in severe rental stress who simply can’t afford the laundromat, alongside people couch-surfing or staying in temporary motels.”
Marchesi said the need for social connection was also rising alongside financial pressure.
“As financial pressures mount, so does social isolation,” he said. “Beyond warm water and detergent, our volunteers are finding that the simple act of sitting down on an orange chair for a genuine, supportive conversation is more important to our friends now than ever before.”
What To Look For Next?
The new patio will provide ongoing shelter, seating and connection during Orange Sky’s Mackay laundry shifts.
Volunteers and service partners will continue helping people access clean clothes, meals and supportive conversation as local demand grows.
