By Emilie Ng
FOUNDERS of Australia’s first mobile laundry service for the homeless will take their custom-fitted van to Queensland Catholic schools as the official Catholic Education Week ambassadors.
Nicholas Patchett and Lucas Marchesi founded Orange Sky Laundry in July 2014, less than three years after leaving high school at St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace.
Now the former school mates will be showing Catholic school students, teachers and parents how easy it is to transform the world off the back of a humble concept.
As Catholic Education Week ambassadors, the pair hope to visit and engage with students, staff and parents from Queensland’s 299 Catholic schools between July 26 and August 1.
“Lucas and I are humbled and excited to be ambassadors for Catholic Education Week in Queensland,” Mr Marchesi said.
“The theme, ‘Engaging Minds. Ingiting Hearts. Serving Others’ is something that directly links in with our services.
“But more than that, we are excited to be hearing and engaging with future leaders, igniting passion in their hearts, and helping them with their ideas for serving others.”
Queensland Catholic Education Commission executive director Mike Byrne welcomed the pair as Catholic Education Week ambassadors.
“The theme for this year’s celebrations is ‘Engaging Minds. Igniting Hearts. Serving Others’ and these young people and their work clearly embody this message,” Mr Byrne said.
“They represent a wonderful example of carrying on the social justice work fostered in their schooling into their lives as young adults.”
Since starting OSL last year, the pair and their 40 volunteers have made headlines worldwide for their innovative yet simple idea servicing Brisbane’s homeless.
Earlier this year the team assisted people desperately fighting Cyclone Marcia’s terrifying effects in Central Queensland, doing 1000kg of washing in four days.
Mr Patchett said OSL’s three principles were to raise health standards among the homeless, reduce strain on resources and restore respect for Brisbane’s homeless people.
The 20-year-olds have put two mobile laundry vans on roads in Brisbane and Cairns but hope to place vans across Australia by the end of 2015.
The Orange Sky team said they wanted to harness the energy of young adults aged 18 to 30 looking for ways to volunteer in the community.
