‘Giving a little to matter a lot’

• Published date: 30 September 2022

A team of six people are heading to Angeles City in the Philippines in February to do voluntary humanitarian work focused on meeting the needs of people living below the poverty line, many in squatters and relocation areas

Steve Holmes, Eileen Onekawa-Sheehan, Owen Patterson, Cam Morgan, Angela Collier and Aroha Taputoro are leaving in the second week of February and will be there for three weeks.

The Golden Heart team will be helping to support an Angeles City church while there, spending time helping with feeding programmes in slum areas and investing in youth through the likes of training, workshops and mentoring.

They will also take on any other volunteer work that they feel in their heart to do.

Team leader Steve Holmes says he last took a group of volunteers to the Philippines in 2018.

“I was over there in 2020 but had to come back once COVID started. It feels really good to be going back over with a group, it has been a long time coming.

“It’s about taking Kiwis to serve in any way we can in an environment that is deprived in many ways.

“It’s an experience for Kiwis and hopefully a blessing...