One Hundred and Forty Four Chairs.

Three years ago on a quiet Brisbane morning, we pressed start on our first washing cycle for Jordan who was in his late twenties. It had been a few days of washing machines breaking, trips to the hardware store and friendly banter. We were adamant that this was going to work. The washer started up, a few rocks back and forward and water was going in. We looked at each other with a sigh of relief; it was all working fine, 27 minutes to go to finish the cycle and there was nothing to do. We wanted to do one thing - wash and dry clothes for free, however what we stumbled on that morning was something far greater.

The power of a conversation

Every day, all over Australia, hundreds of Orange Sky Australia volunteers put other parts of their life aside for a few hours to positively connect with our friends on the street. Yes, there’s laundry to do, but more importantly, there’s conversation to be had, connections to be made. 

After two years of operation, our extraordinary volunteers have clocked up over 64,000 hours of genuine and non-judgemental conversation, creating a safe, positive and supportive community for friends on the street. The humble orange van and six orange chairs have broken down barriers in communities all over Australia. Powerful bonds have positively changed the lives of many people; some are friends on the street, some are our volunteers. There are many stories; some are heart-warming and empowering, others are surprising and confronting. Unfortunately, many stories are heart-wrenchingly sad. Conversations happen each and every day on our six orange chairs and incredible impact is made. 

I am on a mission to get 144 sponsors for these empowering chairs.