Mark Kelley
As a television journalist and host of CBC News Network’s Connect with Mark Kelley, Mark Kelley has travelled to just about every corner of Canada in his quest to report on the incredible diversity of its citizens. “Volunteers,” he says, “represent the best of what we have to give—which is our time.” As the host of Champions of Change, he’s excited at the opportunity to shine a light on Canada’s unsung heroes working in our cities and communities, and volunteering around the globe.Kelley learned to embrace service from an early age. “I grew up when women didn’t work outside the home. But my mother wasn’t about to let the world shut her out. She spent her entire life as a volunteer. That’s where she devoted her intelligence and her energies. She actually received an award for 50 years of volunteering.”
Despite a hectic career, he makes it a priority to carry on this tradition. “Given the demands of my job, I had to ask myself, ‘what can I do to contribute while not taking time away from my kids?’” He volunteers as a soccer and lacrosse coach, giving something back and passing these values on to his children.
He’s also seen humanitarian disasters up close, and was struck by how misfortune brings people together. “When I travelled to Banda Aceh to report on the Indian Ocean tsunami, and more recently in Haiti, I was surprised at the scope and range of people—from students to CEOs—who were down there. These people saw a crisis overseas, found a way to get there, simply showed up and said, ‘we’re here to help.’”
While international disasters get the widest news coverage, Kelley reminds us not to overlook the volunteers in our own communities. “How do you judge between someone who travels to developing countries to fix cataracts, and someone who reads to disadvantaged children at home? This joint initiative between Outpost magazine and CBC News will shine a light on all people doing good work, because they do it quietly and go unrecognized.”
Often, he says, we look at known humanitarians and think, What can I possibly have to offer? He hopes to show that people from all walks of life are out there making a difference. “Volunteers are not special. They are us.”
—Ryan Murdock
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