Mobile shower service for homeless doubles efforts in pandemic

Ripu Bhatia Reporter from Auckland Stuff

A free mobile shower and laundry service for homeless people has expanded its efforts in response to rising demand in the pandemic.

Orange Sky launched its second van in Auckland this week.

Operations manager Eddie Uini said the demand for services doubled during the Covid-19 lockdown.

“Before Covid hit our first van was doing nine shifts a week, once we got to level 2 we were doing 17 shifts a week with our first van,” he said.

“That’s pretty much our maximum capacity, and we were still getting emails from places further south, out west and on the North Shore.”

The new van will operate in Manurewa, Papakura, Glen Eden and Auckland CBD.

It will allow Orange Sky to increase its availability from 17 to 25 shifts a week.

Uini said a lot of families have starting using Orange Sky’s services in Manurewa, Papakura and Onehunga.

“If they can save another 20 or 30 dollars at the laundromat, that’s another 20 or 30 dollars for food on the table,” he said.

Orange Sky wants locals to name the new van in honour of a local hero who’s helped make a difference in the community.

Comment below your idea for what the new van should be called.