Orange Sky at MASH
‘Meal at Sally’s House’ or MASH takes place every Wednesday at The Salvation Army Johnsonville. MASH has been running for many years and began as an evening meal but has pivoted to a lunch in response to the expressed needs of the community. Recently, an innovative partnership has developed with charity organisation Orange Sky Aotearoa.
‘We realised we had great synergy in terms of the support we wanted to offer our rough sleepers,’ says Major Mat Badger, corps officer (leader) at Johnsonville Corps in Wellington. ‘After our MASH lunch together, the Orange Sky team provide a free laundry service while we offer the opportunity for a hot shower in the safety of our facilities.’
Cathy Knowsley from Orange Sky is very enthusiastic about the new partnership, given their shared emphasis on strong community connections and non-judgemental conversations. ‘We have found that these values are very well aligned to what The Salvation Army team are offering at the community lunch each Wednesday in Johnsonville, so we are delighted to be partnering with them to run our service at the same time.’
There is no cost involved for the meal or the laundry service, but people are welcome to give a donation if they want to. A team of 10-plus volunteers connected to the Army in Johnsonville prepare and serve lunch under the leadership of MASH coordinator and cook extraordinaire, Karen White.
‘Our people prefer a lunch because it’s safer than going out at night,’ explains Mat. ‘Daylight hours mean that local people can walk rather than having to worry about transport. Our emphasis is on building community and lunch is open to anyone regardless of circumstances, so we have all sorts—young, old, rough sleepers and community leaders. It’s about taking our hospitality a step further and offering not just a quality meal but also genuine human connection and good conversation. We work hard to provide a safe, alcohol-free space where everyone is treated with value and dignity.’
During the winter, Orange Sky connects to The Salvation Army’s power and water supply, but come summer their operation runs totally on solar power.
