In 1887, Kelso wrote a series of newspaper articles about his experience of finding two young
children begging on the streets of Toronto and his subsequent struggle to find accommodations for
them for the night. Shortly thereafter, he assisted in the creation of the Toronto Humane Society,
established for the protection of women, children, and animals. This society was modeled on the
New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, established in 1874, and the American
Humane Association, founded in 1877. He served as secretary to the society and in this position, he
created several other initiatives to assist Toronto’s poor and/or neglected children, such as programs
that provided excursions for youth living in urban settings (the Fresh Air Fund) and the Santa Claus
Fund—initiatives that both remain in place to the present day.