When you get home of a night, all you want to do is get out of your work gear, have a shower, and put on some nice clean clothes. For thousands of Australians, and many in Logan, this is not an option and for them, changing into clean clothes is something that only happens every few days.
Being able to wash clothes is not really something thought of as it is what you do on a weekly basis. There are clean clothes in the wardrobe, or still in the basket on the floor, and when you need something to wear you can grab it out.
The 2016 census found that 116,000 Australians are experiencing homelessness. That’s one in 200 people. Now with COVID and the rental crisis, this number is surely much higher.
Thankfully, most will not know what it is like to spend nights on the street but with the lack of work and job losses, being cash strapped is becoming a reality for more and more. With cash being harder to make, if you found yourself with a few dollars left in your pocket, would you spend it on washing and drying your clothes or food and other more important items?
Thankfully Orange Sky is out there helping those in need with a free laundry service and showers. But like all good charities they need to keep the funds coming in and for the third year they are running the Sudsy Challenge.
Seeing the Sudsy Challenge is on again, Desleigh and Mel from Guppy’s Early Learning Centre in Kingston got together with other staff members to enter a team to help raise funds.
The group, like other challengers, kept on the same clothes for three days and not showering for the same time.
From Friday September third through to the end of the day of September fifth, the Guppy’s Kingston staff got dirty, smelly, and talkative about homelessness to help raise funds and awareness of Orange Sky and what they do.
Guppy’s Kingston Centre Director Desleigh said we are doing this to engage with our local community.
“Teaching children in the centre that it’s great to be able to help the homeless and those in need because not everyone is as fortunate as they are.
“This is something different to normal fundraisers and Orange Sky often doesn’t get the same type of help as other larger charities.
“The staff were all involved and on top of keeping on the same clothes for three days we also put together care packages to give away.”
Some of the staff have convinced their partners to be involved in the challenge which adds to the numbers on their team.
Guppy’s Kingston Assistant Manager Mel said that we hope to be able to help charities on a regular basis.
“We want to show the kids of the next generation the kindness in giving and being able to raise awareness with them how society can be different.”
Darrel has been volunteering with Orange Sky for over four years and drives one of the washing machine vans in Logan Central.
“It is good to be able to volunteer and help people less fortunate than us,” said Darrel.
You can find the Guppy’s Kingston team and others at www.thesudsychallenge.com where you can learn more about the challenge and donate.
