KEY POINTS:
Getting up for work in the morning is a struggle for many of us, but Glen Innes "community mum" Bernie Hall does it at 4.45am daily - without pay.
Every day for the past 21 years, Ms Hall has risen while it's still dark to paint over graffiti and pick up rubbish. She does this because she doesn't want anyone to see it when they get out of bed. Each day she goes back to apply a second coat of paint.
"Glen Innes gives me a good life," she said. "The people in it are caring people and it's a nice area. It deserves looking after."
She started cleaning up Glen Innes in 1987 when she and community board member Jan Welch formed Safety Net, a community group of nine looking after the area.
She also organises people to watch ATMs on pension days, after a series of thefts in the area. If they see any suspicious behaviour, the rest of the group is called and the pensioner is escorted to their car or a nearby store.
Also on Ms Hall's samaritan-list is patrolling carparks, transporting people home who have locked their keys in their car, organising firewood for the elderly, and helping immigrants to settle into the area and talk to Housing New Zealand.
She also organises for the group to drive around with jumper leads in case anyone needs a start.
Senior Sergeant Graeme Porter is one of her many fans. "Tagging is a real blight in the area, and you always know when Bernie's been there. She's the backbone of the community. No matter who she talks to she speaks her mind, and if there were more people like her in Auckland it would be a much better place."
