Golden Heart group sets up Rotorua fundraiser to help needy people in the Philippines

Rotorua's Alan Solomon with some of the Angeles City children last year as they enjoy watermelon. Photo/Supplied

A team of four Rotorua people are heading to Angeles City in the Philippines to do voluntary work.

Steve Holmes, Bobby Howard, Leanne Hammond and Joel King-Hazel are leaving on March 19 and will be there for three weeks.

The team, dubbed Golden Heart, will spend two to three weeks feeding, clothing and meeting any need possible to the people of the city.

Steve says Golden Heart is about taking Kiwis over and bringing any kind of aid they can to people in need.

The Golden Heart motto is 'Giving a little to matter a lot'.

"It's doing whatever we can to make as big a difference as possible in areas of extreme need."

Formerly, Angeles served the Clark Air Base, the largest United States military facility outside of the continental United States, and saw thousands of American solders flooding the city.

Steve says there is a lot of abandonment of women and children in the city, and a lot of poverty.

This will be the third Golden Heart team from Rotorua in the past three years.

As a fundraiser, people can donate $25 or more on the Golden Heart website, and join together for a morning tea cruise on the Lakeland Queen.

The cruise is taking place on Saturday February 24, 10am, and will include a one hour scenic lake cruise on board Lakeland Queen, unlimited access to tea and coffee, a freshly baked treat and live entertainment.

Steve says they want to raise at least $2000 to put on meals, buy clothes and help sick children.

"All of our team pay their own way. Donations collected go directly to people in crisis.

"The Lakeland Queen has come on board to sponsor Golden Heart by creating this fundraising opportunity.

"It's a huge blessing, and amazing that they are showing so much support for something like this."

One of Steve's long-term goals is to work with the Angeles City Council, and other places around the world, to establish a long term and sustainable way to help homeless and abandoned children.

While on this year's trip, he is hoping to discuss ideas with the local council - "that would be exciting".

A highlight from last year's trip for Steve was waking up and deciding to wash homeless people in the nearby park.

The group took a bucket of water, cloths and soap, and sat there for half the day washing people.

"They didn't have the means to be able to wash themselves."

Through this, the volunteers found a lot of sick children and adults with open sores and infection, so were able to take them to the doctors to get treated.

He says the next day the group took more than 50 meals into the same park to feed families.

Steve says Golden Heart is looking at the possibility of taking a group of youth from Rotorua next year.

He says he would like to go to other countries that need help, in the future.

For more information or to donate go to www.goldenheart.nz.