By Emilie Ng
WORKMATES Nicholas Marchesi and Lucas Patchett are living proof that Catholic education helps young people change lives.
Catholic schooling put the 20-year-olds in touch with Brisbane’s struggling homeless and inspired them to establish their successful free mobile laundry service, Orange Sky Laundry.
The former St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace students started serving the homeless through their high school’s food van outreach but wanted to offer more to the city’s poorest.
Ten months ago they fitted two washing machines and two clothes dryers into their van, offering free laundry services for the homeless.
Last week they rolled out their third full-time van, in Melbourne, the first of a national expansion following a successful run in Brisbane and Cairns.
The pair will hit the road between July 26 and August 1 in their custom-fitted mobile laundry service van visiting some of Queensland’s 299 Catholic schools as the 2015 Catholic Education Week ambassadors.
Mr Marchesi said they wanted to inspire Queensland’s 147,000 Catholic school students and almost 18,000 teachers to “have a go” at serving others.
“Only a few years ago we were in high school in the same position as many of the students we’ll be visiting next week,” Mr Marchesi said.
“If two 20-year-olds can start something, anyone can.
“We just want to inspire communities – students, parents, friends, teachers – to have a go.”
Queensland Catholic Education Commission acting executive director Mandy Anderson said the annual event was an opportunity for Catholic schools to celebrate their “distinctive mission”.
“Catholic education strives to make a difference in the lives of those in our schools, and in the wider community, by challenging young people to live out the message of Jesus and to reach their full potential as compassionate, contributing, life-giving members of society,” Mrs Anderson said.
The 2015 celebrations will focus on the theme, “Engaging minds. Igniting Hearts. Serving Others”.
Mrs Anderson said the 2015 CEW ambassadors from Orange Sky Laundry “who through their work assisting the homeless, are a wonderful embodiment of this year’s theme”.
Catholic Education Week will be officially launched on July 29 at St Stephen’s Cathedral precinct, Brisbane, in conjunction with Brisbane Catholic Education’s Festival of Catholic Education.
Recipients of the 10th annual Spirit of Catholic Education awards will be announced on July 21 and the awards presented at the CEW launch in Brisbane.
Queensland Education Minister Kate Jones and Queensland Governor Paul de Jersey will attend the Spirit of Catholic Education awards ceremony.
