kiaKAHA 

Heather Pennycook, Founder

Heather relocated from Wanaka to Auckland in 2017 with a passion to help the homeless. She began walking Queen Street 3-4 days per week giving out goods, building relationships, and liaising with other groups. She saw that there was no facility for the homeless outside the CBD. She moved to Manukau in 2019 with the vision to change that.

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A strong faith keeps her focused and positive and she is excited at this opportunity to be part of a strategic collaborative solution.  Her background includes Volunteer Rural Fire Chief, Search and Rescue, Chair of her Local Community Board and seven years managing the office of a large building company; she brings skills in management, systems, finance, marketing and fundraising.

Jamie Hansen, Trustee

Born and raised in Auckland. After experiencing God’s transforming love in 1996 and a subsequent heart to love and serve people, Jamie teamed up with a group of friends dedicated to feeding and caring for Aucklanders struggling with homelessness. He was amazed at the huge need and challenges the homeless face every day.
 

These days Jamie is busy working as director of WizBang Technologies, being a husband and father of three, and serving KiaKAHA Hope for the Hope-less behind the scenes, assisting to fulfill its bold and bright vision. He completed a Bachelor of Commerce at Auckland University in 1998 and has worked predominately in technology, finance and food service industries over the last 20 years. His specialties include leadership, strategic planning, sales, marketing, and finance.

Caitlin Petterson, Trustee

American by birth, Caitlin recently moved to New Zealand and married a Kiwi. She immediately noticed her heart gravitating toward people struggling with homelessness in Auckland, and was shocked at the over-representation of Maori on the streets. Before NZ, she was living in a Middle Eastern nation serving refugees of the war in Syria.

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She has years of experience in the non-profit world, having first engaged with the homeless in NYC in 2010, experiencing both the heartache and beauty of getting to know humanity on the streets. She counts those she met on the streets as being hugely responsible for shaping her life and faith. She brings a background in administration, organizational leadership, and communications to the table.