ROLE MODEL

A FORCE for good

YOU CANNOT HELP but smile when you are in the presence of Mark Ellis. A man full of warmth and empathy, it’s no wonder he has the ability to make a difference to the lives of so many.

While he will never give himself a pat on the back for his efforts, this humble man with community at heart has become a passionate advocate for Maroochydore’s homeless community. A driving force in ensuring everyone has the chance to reach their full potential, Mark has spent the better part of 20 years offering an ear to listen and a vision to create meaningful change on the Sunshine Coast.

His why? Well, an underlying compassion for people and something sparked by stories of his own mother who experienced homelessness in her youth.

As the community development co-ordinator at the Maroochy Neighbourhood Centre (MNC) for the past 12 years, Mark has been integral in overseeing programs including the One Roof Project and Sleepbus fundraising initiative.

The Buderim local says he strives to create a “no questions asked” environment where those who want to turn their lives around are given the opportunity to do so.

“For me it’s about bringing people together,” Mark says. “Community development is about talking to the community and fi nding out what they want or what the issues are. For a number of years here in Maroochydore the issue has been around homelessness.

“When people come in to see me, I always tell them it’s not about where they have been and what they have done; it is about where they are and where they want to go.

“What happened in the past is the past. It should not defi ne who they are or where they are. It’s about saying, ‘Okay you are here now, where do you want to go?’”

But social work has not always been Mark’s profession. It was only after an accident rendered him unable to continue his former line of work that his career steered into a new direction.

“My trade is actually a petroleum fi tter and I had an accident at work and broke my back and I couldn’t do the work anymore,” he says. “At the time I was in my late thirties, about 38, so I put myself back through schooling.

“My mum was homeless when she was young so I’ve

always had a passion to work with and help people. When I thought about it, I knew I wanted to go into social work.”

Born in Melbourne and settling on the Coast 26 years ago, one of Mark’s fi rst projects at the MNC was a community garden in 2009. “I stuck a fl yer into a shop window and I think we had 47 families turn up looking for the garden. I pointed to the vacant space where I thought it would go and said, ‘Can you see it?’ I had a vision on paper, they looked at it and thought they could do better, so they went away and came up with what you see today.”

And that is exactly what Mark is – a visionary. He is often inspired by a saying that reads: “Carry the vision, share the vision, build on the vision, inspire the people and see it through.”

His visions have helped guide one of the most successful programs at the MNC, the One Roof Project, to fruition. Beginning in 2016 as a weekly community dinner, it is now a full wraparound service twice a week, with 17 organisations providing everything from hot showers and haircuts to medical and legal services.

“We have provided 25,229 meals through the One Roof Project since 2016,” Mark says. “From that, 2510 people accessed other services while they were here.

“The One Roof Project receives no government funding, it is 100 per cent community funded and I think from that the people experiencing homelessness see that people do care.”

Another major achievement is driving the fundraising campaign for two sleep buses to provide a place for a safe night’s sleep for those living on the street. The custom-made buses cost $100,000 each and Mark says the community support has been overwhelming. “The fi rst bus, for men, has been operating since January on Friday and Saturday nights,” Mark says. “It was small business and community that raised the money for these buses, and I’m proud of that. The kudos goes to all these people. I may have been the driver of the bus, so to speak, but everyone else came on board.”

Mark was deservedly named the 2022 Sunshine Coast Citizen of the Year for his tireless work over the years. While it was a complete surprise to fi nd out he was nominated, he says he is proud that his work is having meaningful impact on those who need help most.

Despite his recognition, Mark is never one to take the credit. He says while he is often the driving force, it is the team of people around him at the MNC that work together to make everything happen. From the CEO to his fellow colleagues and the many volunteers who give up their time, they are all the cogs powering the bigger picture.

“It’s a team effort; it’s not just me,” Mark says. “There is a whole community out there that makes this happen. When I look at where we have come from to where we are now, it goes to show how much of a community effort it is, the work that we do.

“It’s only a little place but within these walls it just buzzes, and we do so much more than what we get funded for. We do it because the people who come through these doors needing help are part of our community.”

Marks hopes to continue educating the wider community on homelessness, why people become homeless and driving positive change.

“There’s homelessness and then there’s hopelessness. Once someone gets into hopelessness it is so hard to drag them back. It is so important they know they are valued and that they are community members.”

“When I look at where we have come from to where we are now, it goes to show how much of a community effort it is ”