Whangarei's own good sort, Doreen Brechelt, strongly believes that sharing is caring and if we all lived with that motto the world would be a wonderful place.
For the past month, Doreen has been knitting coffee warmers, selling them at a local cafe and taking the proceeds into T&T Childrenswear where she buys children's clothes for Barnardos.
"I was reading articles (in the Northern Advocate) about children who need warm clothes and I thought, 'how can I help?'," Doreen said.
She took her knitted coffee warmers to Lynda Gibson at Columbus Coffee at Whangarei's Mitre 10 where Lynda said "bring it on" and agreed to sell the coffee warmers to customers.
Rabbits, dolls, clotheslines, caterpillars, little boys and girls, flowers, hedgehogs, and even Taniwha are keeping Doreen busy, and the more she knits, the more complicated they become.
"I thought 'what a gorgeous thing to do'," says Lynda. Sales for the coffee warmers have been ongoing, and the prices have even gone up as the designs have become more complicated.
But this isn't the first time Doreen has helped charities and organisations within her community.
"I've knitted for the hospice, the St John Ambulance and the hospital, and given boxes and boxes of clothes to Barnardos of clothes I have sewn."
In four weeks, Doreen has sold more than 50 of her coffee warmers and has spent nearly $200 on clothes at T&T. She has given all the clothes to Barnardos, which is Doreen's favourite part.
"It was wonderful to hand over the clothes I had bought to Barnardos. We laid them all out and I said a prayer that they all go to the children who really need them."
Lynda had to ring Doreen and tell her the cafe was running out of the warmers and needed more.
"She is an amazing lady," says Lynda. "She's gone above and beyond."
But for Doreen, this is her hobby.
"I absolutely love it," she says. "You feel like life is worthwhile when you're doing something like that."