Delivering Donations to Orange Sky

Today I will deliver a basket of personal care items and a box of socks and undergarments to the Orange Sky service in Taree.

Volunteers operate the service next to Taree Community Kitchen every Monday between 11am and 1pm, and during that time homeless and vulnerable men and women will bring their clothing to be washed in the mobile laundry van called ‘Maddy’.

I volunteer on the Friday Orange Sky shift which operates next to Manning Uniting Church from 10am until noon, and it is during that time members of the community will talk with me about the service and some will ask how they can help. Conversations will sometimes see people return during the shift with a few personal care items to donate, or they will contact me later to organise the collection of goods they have purchased.

Yesterday afternoon I sat to wrap socks and undergarments in freezer bags ready for transportation in the tubs that we keep in the van. Experience has taught us that wrapping the socks and undergarments helps to keep them from getting dirty, or being separated when they are transported and rummaged through by people on the shifts in Taree, Laurieton, Port Macquarie, Wauchope and Kempsey.

Friends who use Orange Sky on the Mid North Coast know the primary role of the service is to wash and dry clothing; however when there are donations there is always delight and gratitude expressed when they go away with something new that is useful.

To learn more about Orange Sky please read the story I wrote about the service in Focus Manning-Great Lakes earlier this year titled, ‘Helping Our Homeless’. Click here to read the story. Also visit the Orange Sky website.

If you would like to donate items to Orange Sky please contact me.

Love, pray and do.