The sky is the limit for local charity

Image caption: The Orange Sky Crew with Mantra Mooloolaba General Manager Fabrice Grau and MAX  Regional Manager Aaron Papas.

More than 650 homeless people will be given assistance thanks to MAX Sunshine Coast's $3,960 donation.

MAX Employment presented a $3,960 donation to Orange Sky Laundry this morning at Mantra Mooloolaba Beach, a local charity helping people doing it tough to wash their clothes for free.

The MAX Employment Christmas campaign placed 792 Sunshine Coast job seekers into work, with $5 for every job seeker placed during the campaign going to Orange Sky Laundry.

Founded in 2014 by two Brisbane entrepreneurs, the mobile business roams the streets, helping the homeless wash their clothes and allow them to strike up conversation with other members of the community in 12 cities across Australia. 

Sunshine Coast Service Manager Glen Mahoney says the generous donation from MAX will help fund more vans, services and the people power required to run them.  

“If we can do their washing and drying for free, they can spend money on other resources such as food or clothes,” Mr. Mahoney said.  

Mr Mahoney said that on any one night in Australia, more than 100,000 people are homeless.

“With great backing and support from the likes of MAX, the money raised will go to helping our friends on the street restore their respect, raise their health standards and reduce the strain on their resources.

“Most importantly, we can have positive, genuine and non-judgmental chats with our friends whilst their clothes are washing. This money will mean Orange Sky Laundry can have nearly 300 hours of these chats,” Mr Mahoney said. 

MAX Employment Sunshine Coast Regional Manager Aaron Papas said MAX was honoured to support the charity.  

“These guys do amazing things to help our friends on the street every day of the year,” Mr Papas said. 

Mantra Mooloolaba General Manager Fabrice Grau said he was thrilled to be a part of the annual Christmas campaign and work with MAX to give unemployed locals a great start to the New Year. 

“It is more and more difficult to find qualified, trained candidates with the right attitude. Thanks to MAX, we’re able to find suitable new employees to join our team and meet business demand.”

Nationally, the MAX Employment Christmas campaign saw 18,844 job seekers placed into employment, with $94,000 in donations going towards other charities including Rosies - Friends on the Street, Lifeline and Anglicare.