The following letter was written by Pamela and Larry Morris with contributions by Elizabeth Johnson, the executive director of Jesse’s House, a nonprofit residence for teenage girls in Forsyth County.
The fund will give $1,000 for each girl who successfully graduates from high school. The recipients will be residents of the house and a panel will oversee and disperse the funds. The scholarship will begin with the class of 2022.
Mary Morris, 93, saw the scholarship fund as a way to actively participate in the ongoing missions of the charity, which bears her late husband’s name and was founded by her son, Larry Morris. Larry also donated the first house for the charity, making Jesse’s House a true family mission.
“I am happy to be part of the work that is a continuing legacy to my husband by being a positive influence on those in need,” Mary Morris said.
The intent of this gift is to help make the transition from life after high school, college or simply after the girls’ stay at Jesse’s House easier and give them a start in the next phase of their life.
Since its inception in 1998, Jesse’s House has opened its doors to more than 1,000 adolescent girls, offering shelter, safety and security from abuse and neglect. The girls are supervised 24/7 by a well-trained and caring staff, ensuring their physical and mental health needs are addressed.
They are also given academic support to meet their educational needs, taught life skills to help prepare them for independent living, and lots of opportunities for enrichment and fun.
Mary and Jesse Morris have always known the importance of helping others, a character trait they exhibited in their lives through words and actions and passed on to their children. Together they built a home based solidly on their Christian faith and giving spirits.
After serving in World War II, Mr. Morris’ career was as an occupational therapist for veterans at the VA hospital in Augusta, and the mission of Jesse’s House carries on his legacy of giving of self to the benefit of others.
As it is said in Peter 4:10, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”