Volunteers from our local Seventh-Day Adventist church are now offering a free mobile shower service for people experiencing homelessness in Orange.

The purpose-built truck contains two showers and is completely self-contained, with solar-powered lighting and extraction fans, plus instant gas hot water heating. Clean towels are provided along with soap, shampoo, and conditioner, toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Currently, the service is operating from 6-8pm every Wednesday in the Civic South Court, but Orange SDA Church pastor Lorenzo Berry said they hope to expand the service to make it available to more people in need.

“We’re only one month in operation here in Orange so word is slowly getting around. We are hoping to get the word out a little bit faster and, as we get more clientele, we'll look at expanding operations,” he said.

The truck has been built by the Melbourne-based charity One Voice Mobile Shower, founded in 2012 with the idea that everybody deserves the dignity of cleanliness.

Lorenzo said their partnership came about after seeing the truck put to use following the devastating floods of 2022, and then recognising the role a mobile shower service could continue to play here in Orange.

“We were looking at what the community needs here in Orange and saw there's a number of bases that are being covered, but there's a gap in this space,” Lorenzo said.

“We had a few conversations with different community partners and they said it'd be really worthwhile bringing a truck for the homeless people.

“We jumped on board with One Voice, and we really appreciate the initiative they've taken in combating this aspect of homelessness across Australia. So we are proud to partner with them here in Orange.”