Take It From Us with Kent Johns
Jun 4, 2026 · 31 min · 13 segments
Melanie Rauth grew up in Australia. When her parents separated at 13, she started making different choices - cannabis, the wrong crowd, trouble at school. She had her daughter and in 2010 they moved…
Melanie RouthGuest
Kent JohnsHost
Now, I wanted to ask you about the work that you're doing at the Auckland City Mission.
And I imagine it's full on and you'd be awfully busy and the demand for help and service would probably never stop.
I think just going through what I went through in recovery and seeing those people that helped me along the way, I wanted to do the same thing.
I wanted to give back and help those people, especially in early recovery, to have a bit of
When you were battling along and finding life really difficult, what did hope look like at that time?
Um, well in, in addiction, I didn't have any hope and I had no intentions of getting clean because I was quite comfortable in the chaos.
Um, and I didn't really see myself getting out of that chaos, but I think, um, Going in through the drug court and seeing people that have been through jail, that have been criminals or, you know, have been judged like that and actually getting a paid job, which is something that I didn't think I'd ever be able to have the chance to do again, is being employed again.
And understanding that the job that I have now is pretty much a requirement to have that kind of past was a real eye-opener for me.
I'm fascinated about your journey through the drugs court and how it's different to what a lot of people would encounter and the fact that we've only got three areas of New Zealand where you might be, say, fortunate enough to go through a drugs court as opposed to a criminal court.
Now, I wanted to ask you about the work that you're doing at the Auckland City Mission.
And I imagine it's full on and you'd be awfully busy and the demand for help and service would probably never stop.
I think just going through what I went through in recovery and seeing those people that helped me along the way, I wanted to do the same thing.
I wanted to give back and help those people, especially in early recovery, to have a bit of
When you were battling along and finding life really difficult, what did hope look like at that time?
Um, well in, in addiction, I didn't have any hope and I had no intentions of getting clean because I was quite comfortable in the chaos.
Um, and I didn't really see myself getting out of that chaos, but I think, um, Going in through the drug court and seeing people that have been through jail, that have been criminals or, you know, have been judged like that and actually getting a paid job, which is something that I didn't think I'd ever be able to have the chance to do again, is being employed again.
And understanding that the job that I have now is pretty much a requirement to have that kind of past was a real eye-opener for me.
I'm fascinated about your journey through the drugs court and how it's different to what a lot of people would encounter and the fact that we've only got three areas of New Zealand where you might be, say, fortunate enough to go through a drugs court as opposed to a criminal court.
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