McGowan operates under the Ruel Foundation - an accredited charity which runs the orphanage and can process children for international and local adoptions. She holds a Masters in Art.
In 2013, she spent six weeks at the orphanage over summer after contacting the foundation.
McGowan painted two murals and although it was "very hard, hot work", she would not have changed a thing.
McGowan then joined orphanage director Pauline Curtis-Smith in a trip to Tacloban, a Philippines city hit hard by Typhoon Haiyan that November.
"I had no idea what I was going into. We flew into a complete disaster zone," McGowan said.
"Three months after the disaster and still no power and no water. We lived in an abandoned house with pup tents. We fed people out of the back of an old van, treated wounds, dragged rubbish off the street, visited the sick in hospital.
"This experience changed my life."
After returning home to New Zealand, McGowan was quick to raise more money to continue her work in the Philippines. In 2014, she returned with her husband with $7000 worth of donations.
"We paid for our own travels and used the fundraised money to work with a fishing village in Tacloban who had lost their boats, roofs, houses."
Their efforts helped get 11 roofs and four houses built.
McGowan has since fundraised $10,000 for the Ruel Foundation and will return next month to paint more murals and help sick children.
"What I would like to share with everyone is one person can make a difference, even in a small way, and that a small amount of money can help so many families in the Philippines," McGowan said.
"I now sleep at night knowing that 15 families now have a roof over their head."
McGowan said she had a renewed appreciation for New Zealand, and Tauranga, life.
"We get annoyed with small traffic jams ... just enjoy life, family and be grateful for what we have."
How you can help
If anyone would like to help Julie McGowan on her mission, they can contact her at juliesart@xtra.co.nz.
