Homeless charity Orange Sky launches free shower and laundry van in Hamilton

Orange Sky will launch a laundry and shower van service in Hamilton this month. Photo / Supplied

A free shower and laundry van for the homeless is set to launch in Hamilton this month as Australian charity Orange Sky announces its fifth New Zealand service.

Founded in Brisbane in 2014, Orange Sky launched its first service in New Zealand in 2018 and now has four vans available across the country - two in Auckland and one each in Wellington and Christchurch.

Like the other New Zealand vans, the Hamilton one will feature two washing machines and two dryers, including washing powder, as well as a shower with personal care products.

The announcement of the launch of Orange Sky's fifth New Zealand service comes after the charity visited Hamilton in January this year as part of a national tour to find out where else their shower and laundry vans are needed.

Orange Sky's programme manager community impact, Lisa Sprlyan, says the team identified Hamilton as a crucial community to support.

The organisation's senior fundraising manager, Katie Hart, who visited Hamilton with the van, says: "Based on the 2018 Severe Housing Deprivation Report, out of the 41,412 people classified as severely housing deprived across New Zealand, 3.6 per cent of the population reside within Hamilton - third behind Auckland and Christchurch."

All New Zealand vans feature two washing machines and two dryers, including washing powder, as well as a shower with personal care products. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer

Sprlyan says: "Working hand-in-hand with the community, we are excited to launch a new Orange Sky hybrid laundry and shower van to support our friends doing it tough in Hamilton."

Once a service has been established in an area, the team builds a routine shift at the same locations at the same time every week. The shifts are 100 per cent volunteer-run.

For the Hamilton service, Orange Sky is still looking for volunteers. You don't need to be a social worker or expert in homelessness to put your name forward, you just need to be a great conversationalist looking to make a difference in your community. To put your hand up as an Orange Sky volunteer in Hamilton click here.

According to 2018 Census data, more than 41,000 New Zealanders currently experience
homelessness in Aotearoa. A 2022 Orange Sky survey found that one in six Kiwis have personally experienced homelessness, while more than a quarter struggle to make ends meet at least once a month.

The laundry is accessible from the side and a shower is located in the back. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer

Since 2018, Orange Sky New Zealand has completed more than 12,500 loads of washing, provided more than 7500 warm showers and supported the community with more than 19,500 hours of real conversation.

Orange Sky is funded through public and community donations as well as businesses including insurance company QBE and poverty relief organisation Hugo Charitable Trust.

To find out more, go to the Orange Sky website. Hamilton shifts will be available soon.