KJ took a pay cut to give himself more time to do good

The $10,000 Westfield Local Heroes grant has enabled Do Good Feel Good (DGFG) to provide new gear for the younger members to visually represent us, T-Shirts, worn with so much pride, as well as training sessions for new team members to refresh and restart. After the Westfield Local Heroes announcement, DGFG saw a HUGE increase in member numbers (from 10-50) so they are all now on board as leaders and change agents in the community.

With more members, Do Good Feel Good can widen their reach and focus on different community groups.

Getting young people to tidy up is a challenge many parents never overcome.

So when a group of 10 to 24-year-olds willingly spend 10 weeks cleaning up a South Auckland alleyway it’s a big deal.
It shows the positive impact the Do Good Feel Good - Community Alliance Initiatives Trust movement is having in the community, says volunteer KJ Hundal.

“This is one of many social activations we do as a youth-led movement.”

KJ jumped at the chance to volunteer when the Do Good Feel Good movement started in 2015. Events such as sports and leadership meetings encourage young people to become change agents, he says.

“We meet on a regular basis to plan these events, to talk about what needs to be done,” says KJ.

DGFG is aimed at young people in the suburb of Mangere, where some families struggle financially. “I grew up in South Auckland and I have seen kids who haven’t been able to be a part of something like this during school or at home,” says KJ.

His commitment to DFGF goes above and beyond. He even cut back his paid work for six months — reducing his salary in the process — to help grow the movement. He also covers the cost of giving lifts to leaders who don’t have transport to make sure they can join in event planning.

“It was a way for me to give back to the community because with Maori and Pacific culture there is always a sense of family and providing as much as you can.”

KJ feels humbled to be recognised as a Westfield Local Hero.

For further information on the Westfield Local Heroes program, click here.