Looking for a bike ride and a good deed to start your day? Most mornings, as the city wakes up and smells the coffee, a team of volunteers cycle around cafés collecting left-over food. They then drop it off at the City Mission in Hereford Street, where it becomes morning tea for those who turn for support to the Mission’s day programme.

Michele Hollis is one of those volunteers. The scheme is called The Mish and she joined it 2½ years ago after spotting a flyer at Boat Shed Café, which is one of the eateries that donate. There’s 21 in all, including Boulevard Café and Bar, Laneway Espresso and The Sushi Ninja. 

Michele now regularly adds an early morning sweep around cafés and bakeries to her commute from New Brighton. This morning’s been a good haul – Michele has bags of rolls and scones to drop off. 

Sometimes there’s a lot and sometimes there isn’t, but there is always something. “If the cafés have nothing I quite like it because these are businesses trying to do the right thing, so if they have sold out, that is good for them,” she says.

themish.org.nz