Inspired Magazine

In Lucas and
Nic’s words ...
Who inspires us
People who find simple and
creative solutions to problems
and people who are constantly
challenging the way in which
things are done.
Best advice
Give it a crack! We all have
ideas, it’s about getting that
idea into action – that’s the
difficult thing, so just get in
there and do it.
Above Lucas and Nic
atop an Orange Sky
Laundry van.
Get involved
wet and they knew they wouldn’t be able to wash
them anytime soon, so they’d all be ruined. They
had three kids under 10.”
So they washed the family’s clothes. Word
spread. Interest soared. Nic and Lucas worked
relentless hours to wash 1000 kilograms of clothes
in four days.
INTEREST SOARS
Media began to take an interest in the duo and
their unlikely service. Who were these lads from
Brisbane with this madcap idea that was making
such a difference? They featured in newspapers, on
radio and TV. They were in demand to give talks
and presentations.
It wasn’t long and they’d launched another
Orange Sky Laundry van on the Gold Coast, fitted
with two washers and dryers. Then came another
van in Melbourne, one in south-east Victoria and
one in Sydney. Soon they had 300 volunteers a
fortnight on the books.
You can support Orange Sky Laundry’s efforts by making
a donation, or volunteering. Find out more via the website
www.orangeskylaundry.com.au.
All the while Lucas continued his university
studies and part-time job while Nic worked fulltime.
They still pinch themselves at the realisation
of how it has grown. “I remember when we were
driving into Melbourne, into this community where
we knew no-one, and being able to wash these
people’s clothes in early July – when it was really
cold and these fellows were doing it really tough,”
Lucas recalls. “And we thought ‘we’re just two
blokes from Brisbane who had a crazy idea and a
few people believed in us’.”
WORLD POTENTIAL
So do they ever have doubts? Do they ever wish
they were spending their weekends at the beach
and bars like their mates? “There have been a few
nights when we’ve had no sleep when it gets hard,”
Lucas says. “And we can feel a bit uncomfortable
when we’re interviewing people for volunteer roles
like service managers – some of these guys have
resumes twice as long as me and I’m interviewing
them! It’s scary but it’s also exciting – no-one is
doing this anywhere else in the world so it has
world potential.”
Nic and Lucas have also started hiring the
homeless to help operate the vans – a move they
hope to expand so that, eventually, at least 70
percent of their staff are people who once slept
rough. And they’re constantly inspired by the
people they meet, whether it’s a homeless person
or the CEO of a multimillion dollar corporation. But
for them the main reward is helping give homeless
people two simple things that they all crave –
dignity and respect.
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LUCAS PATCHETT AND NIC MARCHESI