Focus on shanty town
TOWNSVILLE’S shanty town near the airport, Happy Valley, will be the focus of a volunteer aid service aimed to help the city’s homeless.
Since Orange Sky was launched in the city five months ago, more than 300 loads of washing have been completed.
Orange Sky is a charity which gives people sleeping rough the chance to wash their clothes and shower for free. It has vans in nearly 22 locations across Australia.
Orange Sky Townsville service manager Jason Southwell said the van operated in locations such as Peel St in Garbutt, Madden St in Aitkenvale and at Dean Park.
“We are in the process of starting up trial shifts at Happy Valley,” he said. “St Vinnies do a soup kitchen at Happy Valley every Monday so we will most likely link in with that service.”
Mr Southwell said the safety of the charity’s volunteers was paramount and a risk assessment of conducting shifts at Happy Valley had been completed.
“I and others have conducted a risk assessment at Happy Valley and we are happy to proceed,” he said. “It’s about having a solid situational awareness and going there at the right time of day and time.”
Orange Sky head of operations David Tubb and Remote and Indigenous Services program manager Judith Meiklejohn visited Townsville last month to explore how the charity could expand its service and help to positively connect more people in need.
Mr Tubb and Ms Meiklejohn visited a number of new shift locations, including Happy Valley. Mr Southwell said without the help of volunteers the service wouldn’t be possible.
“Without our great volunteers across Townsville our service would not happen and we would not be able to help our friends on the street with clean clothes, a hot shower and some positive non- judgemental conversation,” he said.
Orange Sky will hold an “orangetation” for new volunteers on September 1 in Townsville.
To sign up go to orangesky. org. au