When I was 12, my Mum got me out of bed one morning and told me we were going to volunteer on my school’s food van.

There were a lot of thoughts running through my head, but the main one was that I was nervous about spending time with people who were ‘homeless’.

When we arrived, a man came up to me and said “You must be Nic, I’m Harry”. When we got to talking, I realised that he was telling the same bad jokes as my Uncle, he knew a lot about me and my family and was genuinely invested in our lives. At school that day, I couldn’t stop thinking about that conversation with Harry and the other people in his situation all over Australia.

There had to be something I could do. Without knowing it at the time, this was the day that Sudsy became a possibility.

There are a few moments in my life that stand out more than others, like the day we did our first load of washing for a friend in Brisbane, being named Young Australian of the Year alongside my best mate and launching our first international van in New Zealand.

But when I think about what has impacted my life the most, it’s sitting down on our six orange chairs and having conversations with friends. I understand the power of connection, because it’s changed my life and the lives of so many friends across Australia. That’s why I am passionate about The Sudsy Challenge and giving people a genuine reason to have discussions about homelessness, connection and the value of a simple conversation.

- Nic, Orange Sky Co-founder & Lucas’ best friend (sometimes)

There’s less than 10 days to go until The Sudsy Challenge kicks off, sign up today at: https://bit.ly/2CuHdXJ