I get to work with very interesting people who cross a broad spectrum of humanitarian interests,” says Bob Morris, vice president of development for Episcopal Community Services, from his office in Hillcrest. “So on any given day I can be in a meeting with a congressman, a philanthropist and a volunteer at one of our domestic violence centers — all with different passions. It makes my life very interesting.”

Morris, 49, who has been with Episcopal Community Services for seven years, is responsible for developing the resources that sustain the nonprofit organization’s far-reaching programs in San Diego County and parts of Riverside. The 40 programs serve the homeless, the mentally ill, victims of domestic violence, the chronically unemployed, alcohol and drug abusers — all sharing the common denominator of poverty.

“Our mission is to help people gain or regain a dignity in their lives which we believe is their birthright,” says Morris, who came to ECS after successive jobs as a stock broker, entrepreneur and owner of a financial services firm.

Episcopal Community Services is operating on a $21 million budget this year. Eighty percent of its funds come from local, state and federal grants and from the Episcopal Church, its founder, while 20 percent is from individual contributions. ECS was independently incorporated in 1955.

Morris graduated from USC in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree in business and was serving as a stock broker for ECS when he was asked to join the organization as its director of development. Morris says the hardest part of his job is keeping a positive and constructive attitude in the continuing debate on San Diego’s homeless problem.

“I think it’s really important to be a partner with solutions rather than a voice that shames people into trying to help the less fortunate,” he says. “We need to inspire people. It’s through inspiring their higher motivations that we’ll help solve our social problems. What we have now on our streets shows us how far we get with shame. We need a new approach.”

— Manny Cruz