KEY POINTS:
Angela McDonald's mission trip to the Philippines forced her to confront a way of life unlike anything she had seen before.
"It was beyond eye-opening. Children were going through rubbish bins, and babies were left looking after babies. Children were prostituting themselves."
But through that experience Mrs McDonald found "a side of myself I really liked".
She returned to Auckland, met husband Dion and found herself volunteering with him at the City Mission. The couple loved the work so much they are still there, one night a week, five years later.
"It just brings out a wonderful side in yourself," Mrs McDonald said. "It's like if you give someone a present, and they like it, you feel good. And if you can meet someone's need, in helping these people, you know inside that it feels good."
But the work isn't easy, the mission's homeless services team leader Wilt Holt said.
In the first hour on a weeknight some 200 cups of coffee are needed. Then there is helping with the roster, accepting donations, serving food and simply dealing with people who, at times, are verbally abusive to the volunteers.
"It's really full-on. But they both take their jobs very seriously. They want to do it right. They've come to see another side of life that's allowed them to be a bit more relaxed," Mr Holt said. "You can cop a fair bit of abuse from some individuals in this job. But they just roll up their sleeves; nothing's too difficult."
Mrs McDonald said the rewards she and her husband received far outweighed the time and energy they gave.
"Just to see one person's face lit up by a smile. It makes you appreciate what you've got."
