November 24, 2021
Orange Sky clean up mana enhancing
Homeless charity Orange Sky is expanding with the purchase of a third custom-built laundry and shower truck.
Founder Eddie Uini says over the past two years the first two trucks in Auckland and Wellington have done more than 10,000 loads of washing and supplied more than 6000 showers.
The new unit will allow it to extend its range into areas like Papakura and West Auckland which now have their own populations of homeless and rough sleepers.
He says about 80 percent of those he sees are Māori and Pasifika, and the service is a way to restore some mana.
“I remember when we first started we had this guy, he said it was his first shower in three months. It kind of blows you away how such simple things can have such an effect on people. It’s been awesome to see. We may not end homeless today with our vans but we are making a difference in the lives of people affected with it,” Mr Uini says.
He says during the lockdown some low income households have also been able to use the Orange Sky washing machines, with the money they save at the laundromat becoming food on the table.