While the name of this website is DRIVEN Car Guide, we do love a good van.
After all, vans offer the ultimate in flexibility, being useful for everything from moving cargo, hauling tools and shuttling people through to more outside-the-box ideas like being an absolute hillclimb weapon.
However, there is another thing that vans are capable of; and that is being a force for good.
How exactly, I hear you ask? Look no further than Orange Sky Aotearoa, an organisation that runs a network of specially-converted vans that offer anyone in need something most of us take for granted: clean clothes and a shower.
According to Orange Sky's national co-ordinator Emah Butler, the organisation’s unique vehicles are specially designed and fully self-contained, with each full-service van being equipped with two washing machines, two dryers and a shower, while smaller vans just offer the laundry services.
The clothes dryers are special designs that have been converted to operate on mini diesel heaters if needed, while the vans also have solar panels and can also be plugged into a standard 10-amp household outlet if the internal battery is depleted.
A pair of 250 litre tanks (one for fresh water, one for waste) help ensure the vans’ are fully self-contained, enabling them to literally go where they are needed.
“This setup allows us to operate almost anywhere,” said Butler. “We can provide a certain number of showers and washes even without connecting to external water and waste services.”
Orange Sky originated in Brisbane, Australia, 11 years ago when two 20-year-olds, Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett, identified a need among homeless people living in a local park. They started with one van equipped with a washing machine and dryer which quickly expanded across the country.
In 2018, the concept was expanded to New Zealand, and currently, the organisation operates in various locations including Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Hawkes Bay, Christchurch, and Tauranga, with a total of six vans, as well as three "pods" - or semi-permanent container-based laundry units - located in Auckland and Tauranga.
But while the vans (and pods) primarily offer up laundry and shower services, a larger part of what they do is offer a connection to people who may have been pushed to one side.
Butler says that some of the most important pieces of equipment Orange Sky has are the folding chairs that are set up in front of the vans that allow the organisation’s volunteers simply have a chat with whoever turns up, helping them feel reconnected to their community.
"We have around three to four people [manning the van] on a shift,” says Butler. "And it's really so that we can have those conversations with people.
“Somebody can be doing the laundry and another handling the shower, and there's still two people to have those conversations. We’re in a position to offer them support and guidance as to where to get help and things like that too.”
A significant part of Orange Sky's mission is fostering a connection, and it also partners with existing service providers, often at locations offering free community meals and even haircuts, which helps them reach the individuals who need their services.
“People can come and have a meal. They can have a shower. They can get their clothes washed, and even have an awesome haircut. And not just a quick buzz cut - we're talking a proper cut.
“So when they leave us, even after just a few hours, their heads are a little bit higher. We don't know what happens afterwards, but for those few hours, they've been seen, they've been heard, they've been fed, and they're leaving a little bit better, a little bit happier.
While Orange Sky doesn’t receive any government funding, local council funding in different regions, philanthropists, corporate partners and “everyday donors” keep it running, along with a small army of 350 “amazing volunteers”.
The vans are sourced from Orange Sky in Australia, with the outfitting being done there before they are shipped to New Zealand.
Butler says that the organisation is continuously looking for ways to improve its services and vehicles - such as replacing generators with solar panels three years ago to enhance sustainability - and are currently investigating new vehicle types, such as hybrid models, for future fleet additions.
Orange Sky maintain a calendar of the vans’ locations on their website allowing service users to easily find nearby services, which is where you can also donate, fundraise or even volunteer.
