Australia's homeless can now take advantage of mobile showers
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (338682)
Rockingham, Australia
August 23, 2016 7:02am CST
Back in January this year, I wrote about the Orange Sky Laundry where two young men had set up washing machines and dryers in vans and were providing a laundry service for homeless men and women. If you want to read about it, you can search for 'Orange Sky Laundry' and the post will come up. Orange Sky now washes 7.2 tonnes of laundry each week with the help of more than 600 volunteers.
These same young men, Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett, have now fitted out a van with two showers. The showers supply instant hot water. They believe that everyone has the right to be able to be clean and to wear clean clothes so they have established mobile showers. Although shelters have showers, there is always a high demand for the service.
After a trial period, more vans are likely to be made available in our cities. I can only imagine how access to this mobile service will increase the self-esteem of the homeless. Sometimes it's the simple ideas that can really make a difference.
Australia celebrates its 'birth' on January 26th, Australia Day, and a number of awards are made to a number of individuals who have excelled in various fields....
41 people like this
42 responses
@miniam (9154)
• Bern, Switzerland
23 Aug 16
I felt close to tears what these young men are doing.The homeless need dignity too and i feel offering them a place to shower and wash their clothes is something special to them.
What these 2 young men are doing,well there are some things money cant pay for and this is one of them
3 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
24 Aug 16
That's a great idea. Still, some guys just won't shower. I saw it periodically at the homeless shelter I worked at.
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
24 Aug 16
where does the water for the washing machine come from?
2 people like this
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
25 Aug 16
@JudyEv how long does 200 liters last you when you're on a road trip? is the 200 liters for everything - drinking, dishes, bathing? how do you refill it?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Aug 16
@hereandthere It's hard to say as we've never let it run out. We have two 200 litre tanks of fresh water. We fill it from our rainwater tank at the house but we could top it up at caravan parks if we needed to. One tank would last probably five or six days. The chemical toilet only needs a very little water to flush it. We use it for drinking and cooking. When we shower, we get wet, turn the water off, soap ourselves then rinse. We only use small amounts of water to wash up with. .
There is another 200 litre tank which takes the 'grey' water from the shower and dishes. This is emptied at home or at a caravan park in a special drain. The chemical toilet usually lasts four days then we empty the cylinder in a 'dump point' in a town or caravan park. We have more water storage than some smaller motor-homes so we are lucky in that respect.
1 person likes this
@stringer321 (5644)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
23 Aug 16
That volunteering is blessed in my opinion. It can allow everyone to enjoy clean cloths. But, think about giving the fish to the poor or teach him to fish, I think it maybe costs a lot of money and the homeless stays dependent on this service.
I just wash my cloths with tap water and a synthetic soap. It washes away sweat, some color from the fabric and some spots, leaves a neutral smell. It's fast to wash, I don't need to soak the cloths inside the water and wait. I rub the cloth with the soap, rub it with itself, and wash the soap with the tap water, then, I hang it on the ropes to get dried.
Why can't people just use that simple synthetic soap ? Maybe a bucket of water too, if no tap available...
2 people like this
@stringer321 (5644)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
23 Aug 16
Here is the cover of the soap, it is meant for many purposes:
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 Aug 16
That seems an ideal solution. I don't remember seeing that type of soap here.
@miniam (9154)
• Bern, Switzerland
23 Aug 16
@stringer321
some of the gomeless do not even have a simple bucket,to me what these people are doing is wonderful
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
23 Aug 16
Every little bit helps - now for a way to find jobs for them so they can stop being homeless.
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
24 Aug 16
@JudyEv AT least it's a step or two in the right direction.
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Aug 16
@AbbyGreenhill That's true and it's nice to think they're able to be clean if they want to be.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
24 Aug 16
that's wonderful! yepperz, a clean body 'n clothes goes a long ways to makin' folks feel better 'bout 'emselves. there's quite a few 'f those mobile showers here'n the states, dunno 'but the laundry service though. brilliant ideas 'n a huge kudo's to those folks fer takin' the time to address the needs 'f others.
2 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
24 Aug 16
@JudyEv so true, hon. they've a need to've some dignity 'n i'm so glad to hear that such's now'n progress there.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
23 Aug 16
@JudyEv Great idea. I have an idea to provide fresh veg and fruit to areas where there are "food deserts" in the U.S., but it requires more physical energy than I have at the moment. Maybe someone else will do the same. Hope so.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Aug 16
@ElizabethWallace Have you shared your idea with anyone who might be able to take it up? Some of these things just need a bit of thinking outside the box.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
23 Aug 16
Where does the money come from to do this? Is there a governmental grant?
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
24 Aug 16
@JudyEv This is a great use of public and private (charity) funds.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Aug 16
@ElizabethWallace Hopefully now it is up and running it will gain its own momentum.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Aug 16
They received $100,000 from the Shine On Foundation and $50,000 from Queensland Urban Utilities. The latter might be government based; the other isn't. The article said they were taking the idea ot the US next year. Here's the link to the article:
The Brisbane duo famous for launching the world's first free mobile laundry for the homeless begin trialling a shower van as their latest charitable venture.
2 people like this
@Mike197602 (15505)
• United Kingdom
23 Aug 16
Seems like a good idea.
Although more shelters may be what the money should go into.
I know here we've only one shelter for the whole city and surrounding area which isn't enough.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Aug 16
@Mike197602 Some of these smaller ideas can be up and running quite quickly compared to grandiose plans run out by governments. Places with this, that and the other that will be fully operational in 2018 sort-of-thing.
1 person likes this
@Mike197602 (15505)
• United Kingdom
24 Aug 16
@JudyEv good point
at least they're doing something practical that'd certainly be appreciated by homeless people.
at least they're doing something practical that'd certainly be appreciated by homeless people.2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
23 Aug 16
I think that is a wonderful idea that should be adopted everywhere.
2 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
23 Aug 16
plus clean clothes and a clean self MIGHT just mean they can get day to day work, and start making a little money
2 people like this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
23 Aug 16
Now that is truly 'caring for your fellow man' @JudyEv .
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