Aussie’s ‘fun idea’ inspires a movement
Brisbane, Australia (CNN)Many new college graduates are chasing high-paying jobs or launching corporate careers.
Nicholas Marchesi is not one of them.
Inspired by his college volunteer work with the homeless, the 21-year-old says he “had this crazy idea.”
Orange Sky Laundry isn’t the cure to cancer. It is not a multi-million dollar operation. But (it) is a really simple way to treat others the way they deserve to be treated. I couldn’t think of anything better to be doing in my life right now than finding a way to help people improve their lives. It’s something that gives me fuel each day.
CNN: What happens during a wash?
Marchesi: Clean clothes and conversation is really at the heart of what Orange Sky Laundry does. When the washing’s in the machine, there’s absolutely nothing to do except sit down and have a chat.
The most important thing our vans carry are six orange chairs. Those chairs help our volunteers foster positive and genuine discussion. And each and every minute that those chairs are in use, our service is improving the lives of our homeless friends.
CNN: Who designed the Orange Sky Laundry vans?
Marchesi: Every van we build ourselves, and that means we know it inside and out. They take us two to three days to build. In each van, we’ve got two washing machines, two dryers, two water tanks and a generator onboard. We can wash and dry clothes anywhere. After the vans are built, we trial them, and eventually they are sent to a service area to be put to use.
We’re incredibly curious people, so we try to be creative as we develop newer models — and through that creativity and innovation, we’ve found new ways to do things. We’ve made it easier for our volunteers to operate the vans. We’ve made it safer for them to operate, but also we’ve made it more fun.
We hope to one day have Orange Sky Laundry vans operating all around the world that are having the same impact.
Want to get involved? Check out the Orange Sky Laundry website and see how to help.
To donate to ORANGE SKY LAUNDRY, click the CrowdRise widget below.
Donations are accepted via Fleece and Thank You, a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/14/world/cnn-hero-nicholas-marchesi/index.html
