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About
the Foundation

Our mission reflects what Jack B. Morris modeled in his life and business.

He was a man who practiced what he preached, and he believed that comprehensive support of others was a duty and a privilege that we must all undertake according to our means. Even in his early years as a father and businessman, Jack opened his home to another family experiencing hardship. Jack knew that the family was facing immeasurable difficulties and that without his help, they would be facing homelessness, food scarcity, and even worse outcomes. He gave them shelter, food, and a job as a truck driver at his mattress manufacturing company. Through these acts, he set the Foundation’s eventual path of understanding that comprehensive interventions and solutions are the only way to lasting change.

We honor Jack’s legacy today by following that same model, only now with a bigger scope of approximately 2.1 million individuals across Texas’s third largest county.

Board of Trustees & Leadership

Elizabeth R. Brands
President & CEO

Jack B. and Linda C. Morris’ story motivates me to persevere in our work. They both overcame barriers early in their lives that eventually led them to meet one another and build a prosperous life together. Creating more stories like theirs across our community inspires me in the work we do each day.

Dr. Laura Liles
Linda’s Daughter & Trustee

My Mom lived with deep compassion. I remember her waving good-bye to Jack from the driveway each morning as he drove to work. I once asked her why she did this. She said she wanted him to know she was there each time he looked back to the house. Welcoming everyone to our home was important to my Mom, and she and Jack always ensured guests felt the extension of their compassion when they visited.

Michelle Piotrowski
Jack’s Daughter & Trustee

Daddy was an innovator. I remember the strain of those early years, and how he innovated to solve each challenge he encountered. He started his business with no cash or raw materials, so he convinced factory owners to pay him to haul away their scrap material, a revenue tactic common today but not widely practiced in the 1940s. When a significant fire destroyed a major factory, Daddy rebuilt it. His attitude was always that we can continue.

Kaitlin Guthrow
Director of Partnerships

Jack B. and Linda C. Morris were true public servants with a strong sense of responsibility to give back to the broader community. Their lifelong commitment to learning about the issues facing our community and making transformational change motivates my work as Director of Partnerships. I am honored to have the opportunity to continue the Foundation’s ambition so that Jack and Linda’s legacy is felt for decades to come.

Claire Armstrong
Executive Operations Manager

Jack B. and Linda C. Morris truly embodied the Foundation’s core value of compassion. Today, their generosity and empathy for others continue to benefit millions of individuals across our community. As we work to honor what they built and the legacy they left, I am inspired by the opportunity to serve alongside our partner agencies to improve our community and create a brighter future for all.