Kenji is a Whangārei criminal offender who has to do community work as part of his court-ordered sentence.
And this week Kenji is proud to be giving something back to the community as he and more than 20 other community workers are helping clean up and fit out the new day centre for the city's estimated 100-plus homeless people.
A major section of the old Army Hall on Robert St is being renovated to provide basic amenities to the city's homeless.
Read more: Community help needed to fix up venue for Whangārei homeless day shelter
Homeless Whangārei man believes central day shelter is needed
The day shelter is the realisation of a dream for Whangārei woman Carrie Kake, who has been helping homeless people, both in her own home and the community, for 40 years.