It's an idea so simple it's surprising they didn't think of it before.
On Monday the Salvation Army opened its first medical centre in New Zealand. They hope to meet the medical and social needs of their clients in a one-stop shop.
The Sallies are well-known for their op shops, their food banks and their social care - so why not health care?
"Particularly health care that treats more than just their physical needs but looks at them as a whole person and so that would make the hauora service for the Salvation Army a unique programme. We're looking at the whole person and now we can improve their health and wellbeing," said Salvation Army National Director Lieutenant-Colonel Rod Carey.
Hauora - incorporating the physical, the mental, the social and the spiritual - is deliberately at the heart of this latest project.
"We run our addictions, drug and alcohol treatment programmes and we have our housing programmes and many of our tangata in those programmes have quite complex health needs," Lt Col Carey said.
The idea turned to reality in just two years.
"We need them to be able to speak to us, gain the trust, trust our system and obviously help them from where they are," said practice manager Bhoomesh Shreedam.
Staff are proud of the state-of-the-art facilities, which are adapted to suit their clients' needs.
"Slightly different yeah in that we try to make it a bit bigger to accommodate a whanau," Shreedam said.
On one side they're looking after everyone's medical needs but you open a door and it opens up a whole new world. You've got psychologists, budget advisers, social workers, case workers, everyone here looking after everyone's other needs.
That means clients can be pushed or pulled one side or another depending on their needs, and the door will always open both ways.
"They're wanting to see the financial mentor cos they're having difficulties with financial and their whanau's feeling sick they can't take them to school," Royal Oak centre manager Ofa Tuitupou said.
"That's how our medical centre comes in if they can't get any clothes, clothing or bedding and stuff, that's how they come into our family store."
But this medical centre in Auckland's Royal Oak won't just be for Salvation Army clients. Anyone will be able to enrol.
