84. Orange Sky - Brodie and Raina - Laundry, Showers, and the Joy of Volunteering

It's a busy, crazy time of year for many but it's also a time that can be really hard for those already doing it tough. For those living on the streets or those who have accommodation but can't afford the necessities of life, without support life simply isn't manageable, especially in a season where they are often forgotten. Orange Sky is an organisation based out of Australia that, through a huge number of volunteers around Australia and New Zealand, offer a free service to allow people doing it tough to wash and dry their clothing, and have a safe, hot shower at the same time. They have vans kitted out to allow a portable service to visit different locations on different days. Brodie and Raina are two of Orange Sky's volunteers, based here in Ōtautahi, Christchurch. So on a very wet and miserable day I went to meet with them at their Christchurch base in the Kairos Food Rescue warehouse.  You may hear the rain on the warehouse roof come and go through the episode, but that just serves to remind us how important it is that Orange Sky exist.   We talk about what Orange Sky is and how they both came to be involved. We talk about the types of people who use the services on offer and the difference it makes to them, and we talk about what Brodie and Raina have learnt from volunteering for Orange Sky. Check out Orange Sky Aotearoa at orangesky.org.nz or find them on Facebook or Instagram ___ Connect with me at downtoearthconversations.com or at Facebook: facebook.com/downtoearth.conversations  Instagram: @downtoearth.conversations Email: [email protected]