Golden Heart volunteers making humanitarian trip from Rotorua to Philippines

Some of the children Golden Heart volunteers have meet in a previous trip. Photo / Supplied

The Golden Heart slogan is Giving a little to matter a lot, and that's exactly what a team of local volunteers are hoping to achieve on a trip overseas.

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 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 for the groups we work with over there. Really it's about showing God's love to people in whatever way we can.

"People come back from a trip like this quite different and with different views on life.

"I think the level of poverty and deprivation is like something we have never seen before."

Steve says the team has been fundraising for the trip - not for personal funds to get there, but to help pay for resources and donations to give, such as kids' shoes, uniforms and sports gear.

He says while visiting the city he is always on the lookout for opportunities to tee up longer-term visits and projects, so this is something he also hopes to achieve from the trip.

He says he is looking forward to taking a bigger team this time, and considering how tough Covid has been on people all over the world, is looking forward to somehow being a blessing for those in need.

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