'Super involved' Woodstock realtor wins national nod for volunteerism

Kelly Byers said the year she became a realtor was the year she “became super involved in the community.”

Since 2010, Byers has volunteered with community causes, from helping feed Woodstock’s hungry to helping resettle Syrian refugees, all while working as a real estate agent.

Now, Byers’s volunteerism has won her national recognition from the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) – which works for those in the real estate industry, including more than 160,000 realtors – with a Realtors Care award for having a lasting impact on her community.

“It feels amazing,” Byers, 39, said. “I’m still not convinced I am the most deserving.”

Despite her modesty, Byers’s dedication to serving others in Woodstock is long-term and extensive.

“We were thoroughly impressed by Kelly’s ability to rally her fellow realtors around countless charitable endeavours, but especially the Realtors Care Food Drive,” Phil Moore, head of CREA’s environmental, social and governance committee, said in a statement.

Recalled Byers: “I heard on the radio that the food bank in Woodstock was really low on food. It was the summer (when) food banks have a really hard time filling their shelves.”

So she established the Realtors Care Food Drive to combat food insecurity, recruiting co-workers to help out.

That was 14 years ago. Since then, the drive has brought in more than 113,000 kilograms (250,000 pounds) of food, drawn about 250 volunteers, and expanded to nearby Ingersoll and Sweaburg, Byers said.

But recognition is just part of the award.

“It comes with a $5,000 donation to a charity of my choice,” said Byers, who chose London Health Sciences Centre’s stem cell transplant assistance patient fund.

“It will help out people that have the same type of cancer that I have,” Byers said. “I required a stem cell transplant.”

In June 2023, Byers was diagnosed with leukemia, which begins in the stem cells of the blood.

The fund helps pay for medications, travel and other needs of those struggling with finances while undergoing leukemia treatment.

The mother of two said leukemia “changed my entire life in a day,” and she had to adjust to a “new normal” with ongoing treatment.

After her diagnosis, Byers wanted to help others diagnosed with leukemia.

While in hospital, she overheard staff discussing critical blood shortages, adding she has “received over 100 blood transfusions” since her diagnosis.

To fight the shortage, she called on friends and family to give blood, while her children and their friends raised almost $20,000 in the Kids Against Leukemia Bake Sale for the Sunnybrook Hospital foundation, where Byers received care at one point.

Byers is also a member of the Oxford Local Immigration Partnership, a group that works to help refugees and other newcomers to Oxford County.

“Typically, what I’m involved with is helping with leases and helping people secure housing since I have a bit of background in that,” she said.

Byers is also part of 100 Women Who Care Oxford, whose members donate $100 each four times a year to a county charity they vote on.

In addition to the national award, Byers took home the provincial Realtors Care Award a few months ago for her volunteer work. That came with a $500 donation she gave to United Way in Woodstock.

And she’s not done yet, she said.

“My husband and I . . . very strongly believe that our role here is to do more and to do what we can for our community, so we’re actively discussing what that might look like next.”