Shower van to aid Melbourne’s homeless

A MOBILE shower van is to tour Melbourne to “restore respect” for the city’s homeless population.

A MOBILE shower van is to tour Melbourne to “restore respect” for the city’s homeless population.

Orange Sky Laundry, the group behind Australia’s fleet of mobile laundries, will today launch its first shower.

MELBOURNE’S HOMELESS: HOW DO THINGS GO SO WRONG THAT SOME PEOPLE END UP SLEEPING ROUGH

Dubbed “Monty”, the mobile was funded by the Shine On Foundation.

Orange Sky Laundry founders Nic Marchesi with Lucas Patchett with their shower van.

Orange Sky Laundry co-founder Nic Marchesi said showering would give the homeless “more self-esteem and confidence”.

Melbourne’s latest street count confirmed a record number of homeless people — almost 250 — were sleeping rough.

“There is no point having clean clothes but being dirty,” Mr Marchesi said.

“Something we might take for granted, our homeless friends don’t.

“A washing machine won’t give someone a place to sleep at night but when people sit down on our orange chairs as their clothes get washed, they can talk and connect to a community.”