Person of the Year: Mark Horvath

     People often ask me why I decided to write Being the Difference and how I came upon the idea of profiling "ordinary people doing extraordinary things to change the world".  My answer is always the same: we always hear about celebrities and billionaires that display acts of generosity, but I think we don't do enough to celebrate or appreciate "ordinary" people who don't possess fortune or fame but nonetheless give what they have or do what they can to make life better for someone.

     Over the past year I've profiled some of these people on this blog with the hope that sharing their stories will serve as an inspiration for others.  All of the individuals profiled this year are doing phenomenal work in their communities, but today - the last day of the year - I'd like to highlight someone who this year has been the epitome of what being the difference is all about.

     Mark Horvath has been documenting homelessness in America with a no-holds-barred-style to shine the light on a pervasive yet generally invisible problem throughout our country.  Formerly homeless and armed with a video camera, Mark creates compelling video interviews with currently homeless individuals.  But he's not the kind of documentary filmmaker you would expect.  Having experienced homelessness himself, he's not afraid to get his hands dirty in his mission to provide a glimpse into the lives of homeless Americans.  Whether in Sacramento's tent city, a shelter in Los Angeles, or a street corner in Detroit, Mark is there to give us a wake up call about our country's "invisible people".

In his own words:
     "Unlike news media, where you will hear a reporter tell a brief, punchy version of the story, I  wanted to capture the real stories of the real people... Raw, unedited, unsponsored and in their own words."

     That's exactly what he's done.  Mark started with a vision and a camera and in the past year has undoubtedly become a social media phenomenon.  His videos have been viewed widely and his work has been highlighted on numerous blogs and news outlets.  He has been a guest speaker at major conferences and recently became a contributor at The Huffington Post.  But that's only the beginning. On any given night, Mark may be shuttling families to a nearby shelter or hotel, or helping them meet an essential need like getting some clothes for them if they have none.  Here's an example: 

On a recent night Mark sent out the following message via Twitter:
     "mom w/ 9yo boy has nothing! She needs clothes and the boy needs clothes! They were living in their van which was towed! HELP?"

     In an instant a response came that someone would meet him and the family at a nearby Wal-mart to get the family some new clothes. (Read Mark's blog post about that evening here.)  This is not a once-a-month or even a once-a-week occurrence, but a daily mission.  Mark uses his experiences, the people he knows, Twitter followers, and his unyielding determination to help provide a better life for homeless Americans one family at a time.

     This is what "being the difference" is all about -- using whatever you have, to do whatever you can to make a positive change in someone's life.  Over the past year Mark has gone far beyond that and truly demonstrated how much of an impact one person can make.  For offering us an unvarnished look into the lives of homeless Americans, selflessly giving his time and energy to meet the needs of families he encounters, and being an extraordinary example of the difference that one person can make, Mark Horvath is Being the Difference's Person of the Year.

You  can learn more about Mark's work here:
insiviblepeople.tv
hardlynormal.com
twitter.com/hardlynormal

Comments

[Dan Hutson]

You couldn't have chosen a more deserving individual. Congratulations, Mark!

[Danny Brown]

I concur - awesome choice and so very right. I've had the honour and privilege of getting to know Mark over the last 12 months and the guy is the definition of inspirational.

Kudos, fella - much deserved.