HOMELESS GET FREE LAUNDRY SERVICE: ORANGE SKY!

For two young men from Brisbane who admit to not being very good at doing their washing, launching the world’s first free mobile laundry service for the homeless was perhaps a novel idea. But Nicholas Marchesi and Lucas Patchett, the 21-year-old co-founders of Orange Sky Laundry, say their initiative is not just about providing freshly cleaned clothes, something most of us take for granted. The service also aims to give rough sleepers the basic human right to hygiene, and restore their dignity and respect.

“We had this crazy idea to chuck a couple of washers in the back of a van,’’ says Marchesi of the project, which kicked off in October 2014. “Our goal was to connect communities, raise health standards for the homeless and improve the lives of others.” The laundry-on-wheels now pulls up at parks and drop-in centres in six cities across Australia: Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Gold Coast and from this week Adelaide, too, as well as areas of southeast Victoria.

Orange Sky Laundry is most possibly the world's first mobile laundry service for the homeless. Founded by Lucas Patchett and Nicholas Marchesi, the volunteer organisation was started up in July of 2015.

SEARCHING HIGH AND LOW FOR HOMELESS EASTER EGGS!

Each year at Eastertime children everywhere search high and low for the lost rabbit and the homeless eggs!

This Easter, Servants of the Father of Mercy in Anaheim, Orange County and Ventura County (thanks to many Southern California donors), searched high and low too - delivering $10 Subway Sandwich Gift Cards to the homeless living on the streets of Southern California.

Mark Burke and Craig Palm went to La Palma park in Anaheim Holy Saturday morning. About 30 homeless brothers and sisters received fresh socks, water and Subway Gift cards. Later this week they plan to have a second giveaway in Santa Ana with Michael Valencia helping them out.

In Ventura County, Mike Abare and Linda Scarmella (photo) teamed up Easter morning at 10 am finding dozens of homeless throughout their region. Each person received gifts delivered from the team's "chick" Easter baskets containing prayer books, chocolates and Subway Cards. They also received fresh clothing, water, socks and hygiene kits.

Many of the homeless cried (loaded with tattoos or not) and no pun intended, "they were all happy campers!"

This is not a one-time deal! Throughout the year, monthly the Servants of the Father of Mercy deliver to 80,000 + homeless a complete selection of necessities to those living remotely under bridges, in alley ways and on city streets in Orange, Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

Feel a tug in your heart for these poor souls? That's the Holy Spirit! Donate a financial gift today to increase water, hygiene and nourishment helping to prevent dehydration, infection, hypothermia and death - Servants of the Father of Mercy. Go to our online contributions site at . . . http://servantsofthefather.org/donate_2_homeless or mail a check to 1544 Morse Avenue, Suite A, Ventura, CA 93003

Servants of the Father of Mercy, serving 80,000 + Southern California homeless since 2001, 501 (c) 3 nonprofit, tax-exempt association of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. May the peace of the Lord's poverty be yours!

Happy Easter!

Inspiration and a Word from Agent X

Picking up our cross and following Jesus means going to the place of shame, pain, and despair in your community and bearing God's image there. It likely involves humiliation, patience, and suffering. These things are powerful when they reveal God to his creation. Mountains bow down, valleys stand up, crooked places straighten out and make a highway in the wilderness for our God. I am learning and growing and striving to live like this stuff matters. I hope my life (and this blog) play a prophetic part in his apocalypse.  By Agent X (photo), Texas blogger since 2011

Day of St. Joseph

March 19th, happy Day of St. Joseph and happy feast to all named Joseph, Jose, Josef, Josephus, Joe, Joey and Giuseppe!

St. Joseph was a homeless refugee for many years while fleeing Herod for Egypt after the birth of Jesus.

St. Joseph, Servants of the Father of Mercy, patron saint of the homeless pray for us.

O St. Joseph, your protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God I place in you all my interest and desires. O St. Joseph I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. Kiss his fine head for me and ask him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for me. (Traditional prayer to St. Joseph dating back to the 1500s.)

Donate today for an Easter Day $10 Subway Sandwich Cards giveaway to homeless men and women in Ventura and Orange Counties, California. The cards will be delivered to those living on our city streets, in parks and under bridges by the Servants of the Father of Mercy. Go to our online contributions site at . . . http://servantsofthefather.org/donate_2_homeless or mail a check to 1544 Morse Avenue, Suite A, Ventura, CA 93003

Servants of the Father of Mercy, serving So Cal homeless since 2001, 501 ( c ) 3 nonprofit, tax-exempt association of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. May the peace of the Lord's poverty be yours!

www.ServantsoftheFather.org

Bakery Saves Two Lives

Watch Video:  Bakery Saves Two Lives

The Definition of Mercy . . .

The Definition of Mercy . . .

The church needs the money for mission, especially for the poor. Mercy is from the Latin word, "misericordia", which means: cor = heart + miseri = the poor, so mercy means, "having a heart for the poor." Fr. Frank Desiderio, V.P. Paulist Fathers

Please sponsor for So Cal homeless Subway Sandwich Gift Cards, a total of $800 worth are distributed each year on Easter Morning in Ventura and Orange counties. So far there has been raised $160. If everyone that reads this contributes something from their heart, the homeless will be served a good Sandwich this coming Easter.

Make a donation online at www.ServantsoftheFather.org.

Also, please remember . . . "A homeless person without a bottle of water in his hand, is a dead homeless person - having only hours to live before dehydration sets in."

Or mail your donation via check to Servants of the Father of Mercy, 1544 Morse Avenue, Suite A, Ventura, CA 93003.

Since 2001, Servants of the Father of Mercy is a 501 (c) 3 IRS tax-exempt California corporation and Association of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. All gifts are tax deductible. Be a volunteer at our next outreach, call Bro. Joseph, s.F.m. at (310) 595-4175.